These are microbial infections of breast tissue. They usually occur because of cracks in the nipple during the breastfeeding (lactation) period.
The signs of infection in the breast are hardness, redness, pain and increased warmth of the skin.
If there are only signs of infection and no abscess has formed yet, antibiotic treatment can be applied.
If an abscess has developed, it must be drained (emptied). This can be done with a needle, or sometimes open surgical drainage may be required. In every case, antibiotic treatment should be continued for a long time.
Inflammation of the Breast (Lactational Mastitis):
Breast inflammation can develop in breastfeeding mothers, most often within 1 week after birth. Cracks, sores, crusting and poor hygiene on the nipple caused by breastfeeding lead to the growth of germs on the nipple. In such cases, if they are not treated with antibiotics, mastitis may develop in one third.
In such cases, continuing to breastfeed or emptying the milk with the help of a pump reduces the formation of an abscess. If an abscess has developed in the breast inflammation, it must be emptied surgically.
Periductal Mastitis:
It is one of the mastitis types that occur in the breast outside of breastfeeding. It is a type of inflammation that starts around the nipple and develops around the milk ducts. A very large part of it is related to smoking. It is estimated to develop because smoking damages the milk ducts behind the nipple, making the area a suitable ground for infections.
In the beginning, treatment of the disease is possible with antibiotics alone. If an abscess is detected during breast examination under ultrasound or in similar imaging tests, abscess drainage is required.
Since the risk of recurrence after drainage is high, in frequently recurring cases a surgical intervention aimed at removing the milk ducts behind the nipple is performed.
In patients who have diabetes, chronic kidney failure or are undergoing chemotherapy, whose immune system is suppressed and who are frail, abscesses may develop in areas away from the nipple (peripheral non-lactational breast infections). In this case too, the treatment requires emptying the abscess and applying antibiotic treatment. Depending on the patient’s age and the examination findings, if there is suspicion of cancer in imaging tests, a biopsy must be taken from the abscess or the inflamed area.
