What are the symptoms of breast infection? What causes breast infection? How is breast infection treated? Get comprehensive information on breast infection and its management.

The Anatomy of the Breast

The breast is composed of several glands and ducts that lead to the nipple and the surrounding colored area called the areola. The milk-carrying ducts extend from the nipple into the underlying breast tissue like the spokes of a wheel. Under the areola are lactiferous ducts, which fill with milk during lactation after a woman has a baby. When a girl reaches puberty, changing hormones cause the ducts to grow and fat deposits in the breast tissue to increase. The glands that produce milk (mammary glands) are connected to the surface of the breast by the lactiferous ducts and may extend to the armpit area.

What is Mastitis?

Mastitis is an infection of the tissue of the breast that occurs most frequently during the time of breastfeeding. It can occur when bacteria, often from the baby’s mouth, enter a milk duct through a crack in the nipple. Breast infections most commonly occur one to three months after the delivery of a baby, but they can occur in women who have not recently delivered and in women after menopause. Other causes of infection include chronic mastitis and a rare form of cancer called inflammatory carcinoma.

Who is at Risk of Developing Breast Infection?

In healthy women, mastitis is rare. However, women with diabetes, chronic illness, AIDS, or an impaired immune system may be more susceptible. About 1%-3% of breastfeeding mothers develop mastitis. Engorgement and incomplete breast emptying can contribute to the problem and make the symptoms worse. Chronic mastitis occurs in women who are not breastfeeding. In postmenopausal women, breast infections may be associated with chronic inflammation of the ducts below the nipple. Hormonal changes in the body can cause the milk ducts to become clogged with dead skin cells and debris, making the breast more open to bacterial infection.

Symptoms of Breast Infection

Breast infections may cause pain, redness, and warmth of the breast along with the following symptoms:

• Tenderness and swelling
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Breast engorgement
• Fever and chills

Breast Abscess: A Complication of Mastitis

A breast abscess can be a complication of mastitis. Noncancerous masses such as abscesses are more often tender and frequently feel mobile beneath the skin. The edge of the mass is usually regular and well defined. Indications that this more serious infection has occurred include a tender lump in the breast that does not get smaller after breastfeeding, pus draining from the nipple, and persistent fever with no improvement of symptoms within 48-72 hours of treatment.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Call your health care provider as soon as you feel any suspicious lump, whether you are breastfeeding or not. Call for an appointment if you have any abnormal discharge from your nipples, breast pain that is making it difficult for you to function each day, prolonged, unexplained breast pain, or any other associated symptoms such as redness, swelling, pain that interferes with breastfeeding, or a mass or tender lump in the breast that does not disappear after breastfeeding.

If you are breastfeeding, call your doctor if you develop any symptoms of breast infection so that treatment may be started promptly. You may need to be evaluated in a hospital’s emergency department if the breast pain is associated with other signs of an infection and if your health care provider cannot see you promptly.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Infection

The diagnosis of mastitis and a breast abscess can usually be made based on a physical exam. If it is unclear whether a mass is due to a fluid-filled abscess or to a solid mass such as a tumor, a test such as an ultrasound may be done. An ultrasound may also be helpful in distinguishing between simple mastitis and abscess or in diagnosing an abscess deep in the breast.

If an abscess is confirmed, aspiration or surgical drainage, and IV antibiotics, are often required. Cultures may be taken, either of breast milk or of material taken out of an abscess.

Managing Breast Infection

Breast infections can be effectively managed with prompt treatment. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment, but home remedies like applying warm compresses and maintaining good breastfeeding practices can also help alleviate symptoms. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to drain an abscess. With proper care, most breast infections resolve without any long-term complications.

Breast Infection (Mastitis): Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• How the Breast Is Built
• Breast Infection Causes
• Breast Infection Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Breast Infection Exams and Tests
• Breast Infection Treatment
• Breast Infection Home Remedies
• Medications for Mastitis
• Surgery for an Abscess
• Next Steps
• Follow-Up Care After a Breast Infection
• Mastitis Prevention
• Outlook for Breast Infections
• More

The breast is composed of several glands and ducts that lead to the nipple and the surrounding colored area called the areola. The milk-carrying ducts extend from the nipple into the underlying breast tissue like the spokes of a wheel. Under the areola are lactiferous ducts. These fill with milk during lactation after a woman has a baby. When a girl reaches puberty, changing hormones cause the ducts to grow and cause fat deposits in the breast tissue to increase. The glands that produce milk (mammary glands) that are connected to the surface of the breast by the lactiferous ducts may extend to the armpit area.

Mastitis is an infection of the tissue of the breast that occurs most frequently during the time of breastfeeding. It can occur when bacteria, often from the baby’s mouth, enter a milk duct through a crack in the nipple.

Breast infections most commonly occur one to three months after the delivery of a baby, but they can occur in women who have not recently delivered and in women after menopause. Other causes of infection include chronic mastitis and a rare form of cancer called inflammatory carcinoma.

In healthy women, mastitis is rare. However, women with diabetes, chronic illness, AIDS, or an impaired immune system may be more susceptible.

About 1%-3% of breastfeeding mothers develop mastitis. Engorgement and incomplete breast emptying can contribute to the problem and make the symptoms worse.

Chronic mastitis occurs in women who are not breastfeeding. In postmenopausal women, breast infections may be associated with chronic inflammation of the ducts below the nipple. Hormonal changes in the body can cause the milk ducts to become clogged with dead skin cells and debris. These clogged ducts make the breast more open to bacterial infection. Infection tends to come back after treatment with antibiotics.

Breast infections may cause pain, redness, and warmth of the breast along with the following symptoms:

• Tenderness and swelling
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Breast engorgement
• Fever and chills
• Abscess: A breast abscess can be a complication of mastitis. Noncancerous masses such as abscesses are more often tender and frequently feel mobile beneath the skin. The edge of the mass is usually regular and well defined. Indications that this more serious infection has occurred include the following:
  • Tender lump in the breast that does not get smaller after breastfeeding a newborn (If the abscess is deep in the breast, you may not be able to feel it. )
  • Pus draining from the nipple
  • Persistent fever and no improvement of symptoms within 48-72 hours of treatment

Call your health care provider as soon as you feel any suspicious lump, whether you are breastfeeding or not. Call for an appointment if:

• You have any abnormal discharge from your nipples.
• Breast pain is making it difficult for you to function each day.
• You have prolonged, unexplained breast pain.
• You have any other associated symptoms such as redness, swelling, pain that interferes with breastfeeding, a mass or tender lump in the breast that does not disappear after breastfeeding.
• If you are breastfeeding, call your doctor if you develop any symptoms of breast infection so that treatment may be started promptly.

You may need to be evaluated in a hospital’s emergency department if the breast pain is associated with other signs of an infection (such as a fever, swelling, or redness to the breast) and if your health care provider cannot see you promptly. The below symptoms require emergency treatment:

• A persistent high fever greater than 101.5°F
• Nausea or vomiting that is preventing you from taking the antibiotics as prescribed
• Pus draining from the breast
• Red streaks extending toward your arm or chest
• Dizziness, fainting, or confusion

The diagnosis of mastitis and a breast abscess can usually be made based on a physical exam.

• If it is unclear whether a mass is due to a fluid-filled abscess or to a solid mass such as a tumor, a test such as an ultrasound may be done. An ultrasound may also be helpful in distinguishing between simple mastitis and abscess or in diagnosing an abscess deep in the breast. This noninvasive test allows your doctor to directly visualize the abscess by placing an ultrasound probe over your breast. If an abscess is confirmed, aspiration or surgical drainage, and IV antibiotics, are often required.
• Cultures may be taken, either of breast milk or of material taken out of an abscess through a syringe, to determine the type of organism causing the infection. This information can help your doctor decide what kind of antibiotic to use.
• Nonbreastfeeding women with mastitis, or those who do not respond to treatment, may have a mammogram or breast biopsy. This is a precautionary measure because a rare type of breast cancer can produce symptoms of mastitis.

Breast infections require treatment by a health care provider.

After you see a doctor, try the following to help your breast infection heal.

• Pain medication: Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil) for pain. These drugs are safe while breastfeeding and will not harm your baby. Your doctor may prescribe a prescription strength pain reliever if your pain is severe and not relieved with over-the-counter medication.
• In mild cases of mastitis, antibiotics may not be prescribed at all. If you are prescribed antibiotics, finishing the prescription even if you feel better in a few days is very important.
• Frequent feedings: Do not stop breastfeeding from the affected breast, even though it will be painful and you may be taking antibiotics. Frequent emptying of the breast prevents engorgement and clogged ducts that can only make mastitis worse.
  • If needed, use a breast pump to relieve pressure and completely empty the breast.
  • You can also breastfeed from the unaffected side and supplement with infant formula as needed.
  • The infection will not harm the baby because the germs that caused the infection probably came from the baby’s mouth in the first place.
  • Breastfeeding should be avoided in the infected breast when an abscess is present.
• Pain relief: A warm compress applied before and after feedings can often provide some relief. A warm bath may work as well.
  • If heat is ineffective, ice packs applied after feedings may provide some comfort and relief.
  • Avoid using ice packs just before breastfeeding because it can slow down milk flow.
  • Drink plenty of water — at least 10 glasses a day. Eat well-balanced meals and add 500 extra calories a day while breastfeeding. Dehydration and poor nutrition can decrease milk supply and make you feel worse.

For simple mastitis without an abscess, oral antibiotics are prescribed. Cephalexin (Keflex) and dicloxacillin (Dycill) are two of the most common antibiotics chosen, but a number of others are available. The antibiotic prescribed will depend on your specific situation, your doctor’s preference, and any drug allergies you may have. This medicine is safe to use while breastfeeding and will not harm the baby.

Chronic mastitis in nonbreastfeeding women can be complicated. Recurrent episodes of mastitis are common. Occasionally, this type of infection responds poorly to antibiotics. Therefore, close follow-up with your doctor is mandatory.

If the infection worsens in spite of oral antibiotics or if you have a deep abscess requiring surgical treatment, you may be admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics.

If an abscess is present, it must be drained. After injection of a local anesthetic, the doctor may drain an abscess near the surface of the skin either by aspiration with a needle and syringe or by using a small incision. This can be done in the doctor’s office or emergency department.

If the abscess is deep in the breast, however, it may require surgical drainage in the operating room. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia to minimize pain and completely drain the abscess. Antibiotics and heat on the area are also used to treat abscesses.

Mastitis does not cause cancer, but cancer can mimic mastitis in appearance. If a breast infection is slow to go away, your health care provider may recommend a mammogram or other tests to rule out cancer.

If you have a breast infection, you may be seen for a recheck in 24-48 hours.

• Take all antibiotics as prescribed.
• Take your temperature three times a day for the first 48 hours after treatment begins. Watch for fever.
• Call your doctor if you develop a high fever, vomiting, or increasing redness, swelling, or pain in the breast.
• Follow up with your doctor in one to two weeks to make sure that the infection has gone away. If the infection spreads or an abscess develops, you may require IV antibiotics or surgical treatment.

Sometimes mastitis is unavoidable. Some women are more susceptible than others, especially those who are breastfeeding for the first time. In general, good habits to prevent mastitis include the following:

• Breastfeed equally from both breasts.
• Empty breasts completely to prevent engorgement and blocked ducts.
• Use good breastfeeding techniques to prevent sore, cracked nipples.
• Allow sore or cracked nipples to air dry.
• Prevent moisture from accumulating in breast pads or bras.
• Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids.
• Practice careful hygiene: Handwashing, cleaning the nipples, keeping your baby clean.

When treated promptly, the majority of breast infections go away quickly and without serious complications. Most women can and should continue to breastfeed despite an episode of uncomplicated mastitis. With proper treatment, symptoms should begin to resolve within one to two days.

A breast abscess may require surgical drainage, IV antibiotics, and a short hospital stay. A small incision is made and usually heals quite well. Prognosis for complete recovery is also good.

Postmenopausal women with breast abscesses have a high rate of return after simple drainage and frequently need to follow up with a surgeon for more definitive treatment. Chronic infection can result if an abscess is not completely drained, and this can result in a poor cosmetic outcome.

Top Picks

Breast Infection (Mastitis): Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• How the Breast Is Built
• Breast Infection Causes
• Breast Infection Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Breast Infection Exams and Tests
• Breast Infection Treatment
• Breast Infection Home Remedies
• Medications for Mastitis
• Surgery for an Abscess
• Next Steps
• Follow-Up Care After a Breast Infection
• Mastitis Prevention
• Outlook for Breast Infections
• More

The breast is composed of several glands and ducts that lead to the nipple and the surrounding colored area called the areola. The milk-carrying ducts extend from the nipple into the underlying breast tissue like the spokes of a wheel. Under the areola are lactiferous ducts. These fill with milk during lactation after a woman has a baby. When a girl reaches puberty, changing hormones cause the ducts to grow and cause fat deposits in the breast tissue to increase. The glands that produce milk (mammary glands) that are connected to the surface of the breast by the lactiferous ducts may extend to the armpit area.

Mastitis is an infection of the tissue of the breast that occurs most frequently during the time of breastfeeding. It can occur when bacteria, often from the baby’s mouth, enter a milk duct through a crack in the nipple.

Breast infections most commonly occur one to three months after the delivery of a baby, but they can occur in women who have not recently delivered and in women after menopause. Other causes of infection include chronic mastitis and a rare form of cancer called inflammatory carcinoma.

In healthy women, mastitis is rare. However, women with diabetes, chronic illness, AIDS, or an impaired immune system may be more susceptible.

About 1%-3% of breastfeeding mothers develop mastitis. Engorgement and incomplete breast emptying can contribute to the problem and make the symptoms worse.

Chronic mastitis occurs in women who are not breastfeeding. In postmenopausal women, breast infections may be associated with chronic inflammation of the ducts below the nipple. Hormonal changes in the body can cause the milk ducts to become clogged with dead skin cells and debris. These clogged ducts make the breast more open to bacterial infection. Infection tends to come back after treatment with antibiotics.

Breast infections may cause pain, redness, and warmth of the breast along with the following symptoms:

• Tenderness and swelling
• Body aches
• Fatigue
• Breast engorgement
• Fever and chills
• Abscess: A breast abscess can be a complication of mastitis. Noncancerous masses such as abscesses are more often tender and frequently feel mobile beneath the skin. The edge of the mass is usually regular and well defined. Indications that this more serious infection has occurred include the following:
  • Tender lump in the breast that does not get smaller after breastfeeding a newborn (If the abscess is deep in the breast, you may not be able to feel it.)
  • Pus draining from the nipple
  • Persistent fever and no improvement of symptoms within 48-72 hours of treatment

Call your health care provider as soon as you feel any suspicious lump, whether you are breastfeeding or not. Call for an appointment if:

• You have any abnormal discharge from your nipples.
• Breast pain is making it difficult for you to function each day.
• You have prolonged, unexplained breast pain.
• You have any other associated symptoms such as redness, swelling, pain that interferes with breastfeeding, a mass or tender lump in the breast that does not disappear after breastfeeding.
• If you are breastfeeding, call your doctor if you develop any symptoms of breast infection so that treatment may be started promptly.

You may need to be evaluated in a hospital’s emergency department if the breast pain is associated with other signs of an infection (such as a fever, swelling, or redness to the breast) and if your health care provider cannot see you promptly. The below symptoms require emergency treatment:

• A persistent high fever greater than 101.5°F
• Nausea or vomiting that is preventing you from taking the antibiotics as prescribed
• Pus draining from the breast
• Red streaks extending toward your arm or chest
• Dizziness, fainting, or confusion

The diagnosis of mastitis and a breast abscess can usually be made based on a physical exam.

• If it is unclear whether a mass is due to a fluid-filled abscess or to a solid mass such as a tumor, a test such as an ultrasound may be done. An ultrasound may also be helpful in distinguishing between simple mastitis and abscess or in diagnosing an abscess deep in the breast. This noninvasive test allows your doctor to directly visualize the abscess by placing an ultrasound probe over your breast. If an abscess is confirmed, aspiration or surgical drainage, and IV antibiotics, are often required.
• Cultures may be taken, either of breast milk or of material taken out of an abscess through a syringe, to determine the type of organism causing the infection. This information can help your doctor decide what kind of antibiotic to use.
• Nonbreastfeeding women with mastitis, or those who do not respond to treatment, may have a mammogram or breast biopsy. This is a precautionary measure because a rare type of breast cancer can produce symptoms of mastitis.

Breast infections require treatment by a health care provider.

After you see a doctor, try the following to help your breast infection heal.

• Pain medication: Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil) for pain. These drugs are safe while breastfeeding and will not harm your baby. Your doctor may prescribe a prescription strength pain reliever if your pain is severe and not relieved with over-the-counter medication.
• In mild cases of mastitis, antibiotics may not be prescribed at all. If you are prescribed antibiotics, finishing the prescription even if you feel better in a few days is very important.
• Frequent feedings: Do not stop breastfeeding from the affected breast, even though it will be painful and you may be taking antibiotics. Frequent emptying of the breast prevents engorgement and clogged ducts that can only make mastitis worse.
  • If needed, use a breast pump to relieve pressure and completely empty the breast.
  • You can also breastfeed from the unaffected side and supplement with infant formula as needed.
  • The infection will not harm the baby because the germs that caused the infection probably came from the baby’s mouth in the first place.
  • Breastfeeding should be avoided in the infected breast when an abscess is present.
• Pain relief: A warm compress applied before and after feedings can often provide some relief. A warm bath may work as well.
  • If heat is ineffective, ice packs applied after feedings may provide some comfort and relief.
  • Avoid using ice packs just before breastfeeding because it can slow down milk flow.
  • Drink plenty of water — at least 10 glasses a day. Eat well-balanced meals and add 500 extra calories a day while breastfeeding. Dehydration and poor nutrition can decrease milk supply and make you feel worse.

For simple mastitis without an abscess, oral antibiotics are prescribed. Cephalexin (Keflex) and dicloxacillin (Dycill) are two of the most common antibiotics chosen, but a number of others are available. The antibiotic prescribed will depend on your specific situation, your doctor’s preference, and any drug allergies you may have. This medicine is safe to use while breastfeeding and will not harm the baby.

Chronic mastitis in nonbreastfeeding women can be complicated. Recurrent episodes of mastitis are common. Occasionally, this type of infection responds poorly to antibiotics. Therefore, close follow-up with your doctor is mandatory.

If the infection worsens in spite of oral antibiotics or if you have a deep abscess requiring surgical treatment, you may be admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics.

If an abscess is present, it must be drained. After injection of a local anesthetic, the doctor may drain an abscess near the surface of the skin either by aspiration with a needle and syringe or by using a small incision. This can be done in the doctor’s office or emergency department.

If the abscess is deep in the breast, however, it may require surgical drainage in the operating room. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia to minimize pain and completely drain the abscess. Antibiotics and heat on the area are also used to treat abscesses.

Mastitis does not cause cancer, but cancer can mimic mastitis in appearance. If a breast infection is slow to go away, your health care provider may recommend a mammogram or other tests to rule out cancer.

If you have a breast infection, you may be seen for a recheck in 24-48 hours.

• Take all antibiotics as prescribed.
• Take your temperature three times a day for the first 48 hours after treatment begins. Watch for fever.
• Call your doctor if you develop a high fever, vomiting, or increasing redness, swelling, or pain in the breast.
• Follow up with your doctor in one to two weeks to make sure that the infection has gone away. If the infection spreads or an abscess develops, you may require IV antibiotics or surgical treatment.

Sometimes mastitis is unavoidable. Some women are more susceptible than others, especially those who are breastfeeding for the first time. In general, good habits to prevent mastitis include the following:

• Breastfeed equally from both breasts.
• Empty breasts completely to prevent engorgement and blocked ducts.
• Use good breastfeeding techniques to prevent sore, cracked nipples.
• Allow sore or cracked nipples to air dry.
• Prevent moisture from accumulating in breast pads or bras.
• Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids.
• Practice careful hygiene: Handwashing, cleaning the nipples, keeping your baby clean.

When treated promptly, the majority of breast infections go away quickly and without serious complications. Most women can and should continue to breastfeed despite an episode of uncomplicated mastitis. With proper treatment, symptoms should begin to resolve within one to two days.

A breast abscess may require surgical drainage, IV antibiotics, and a short hospital stay. A small incision is made and usually heals quite well. Prognosis for complete recovery is also good.

Postmenopausal women with breast abscesses have a high rate of return after simple drainage and frequently need to follow up with a surgeon for more definitive treatment. Chronic infection can result if an abscess is not completely drained, and this can result in a poor cosmetic outcome.

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Mastitis (breast) – diagnosis and treatment in Moscow, price

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Contents

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.

Mastitis ( breast ) is an inflammation of the mammary gland resulting from infection.

The disease occurs mainly in lactating women in the postpartum period ( lactational mastitis ). If the pathology is not associated with breastfeeding, this form is called non-lactational mastitis . In addition, there is newborn infants .

Also, mastitis can be acute or chronic (purulent and non-purulent).

Causes and pathogenesis of mastitis

The cause of mastitis is an infection that penetrates into the mammary gland mainly through nipple cracks or through the milk ducts (during breastfeeding). Pathogenic microorganisms can enter the body through the hematogenous or lymphogenous route.

The causative agent of infection is Staphylococcus aureus, rarely Streptococcus. Microorganisms penetrate from the child’s mouth, if the rules of personal hygiene are not observed.

Among the risk factors for mastitis are breast engorgement (lactostasis), complications during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, anomalies in the development of the mammary glands, mastopathy, etc.

With lactostasis in the mammary gland, there is a violation of venous circulation and lymphatic drainage, microorganisms begin to multiply, provoking inflammation.

Symptoms of mastitis

Acute mastitis goes through serous, infiltrative and purulent stages.

Symptoms of serous mastitis are pain, lumps in the mammary gland, which are aggravated by feeding a child, expressing milk; breast enlargement; skin hyperemia; deterioration in general condition, fever.

In a few days, infiltrative mastitis may develop, in which pain in the mammary gland intensifies, a painful infiltrate forms, and axillary lymph nodes increase.

After 5–10 days, the infiltrate may begin to fester, further enlargement and deformation of the mammary gland is observed, and the inflammatory process progresses. Patients complain of high temperature, lack of appetite, sleep disturbance.

If left untreated or improperly treated, mastitis can progress to chronic suppurative form . In addition, chronic non-purulent mastitis is distinguished. Symptoms of the disease are pain in the area near the nipple, swelling of the mammary gland, skin hyperemia, painful infiltrate, and a slight increase in temperature is possible.

Diagnosis of mastitis at the Clinical Hospital on Yauza

If you suspect an inflammatory process, you should contact a specialist.

Doctors of the Yauza Clinical Hospital make a diagnosis based on:

• examination, palpation of the mammary glands
• patient complaints, anamnesis
• ultrasound
• mammography
• complete blood and urine test
• bacteriological examination of milk
• milk cytology
• histological examination

Treatment of mastitis at the Yauza Clinical Hospital

Early diagnosis of the disease is the key to successful treatment. In case of serous and infiltrative mastitis, the specialists of the Clinical Hospital on Yauza carry out conservative treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

If the disease passes into a purulent stage, surgical treatment is necessary, which consists in opening the source of suppuration. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia.

At the time of treatment, breastfeeding should be suspended in order to prevent infection of the child, the ingestion of drugs, pus.

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PURULENT BREAST DISEASES |

Under purulent diseases of the mammary glands is understood a whole group of pathological conditions associated with the development of the inflammatory process of this localization. Most often we are talking about mastitis – inflammation of the breast tissue. Depending on the functional state against which the disease develops, lactational and non-lactational mastitis are distinguished. Having a common cause – a microbe-causative agent, these two forms differ significantly in pathogenesis, approaches to treatment, prognosis, and prevention. Purulent complications after mammoplasty are much less common. But it is these conditions that often differ in the severity of the course and an extremely unfavorable cosmetic outcome.

Lactational mastitis

occurring after childbirth during lactation. The most common causative agent of the disease is Staphylococcus aureus, which usually enters the breast tissue through cracks in the nipple, which often occur during breastfeeding. At the same time, lactostasis is considered the most important moment in the development of the pathological process – stagnation of milk in various parts of the mammary glands. Lactostasis leads to edema of the gland tissue, microcirculation disorders, which is a favorable background for the development of infection. In its development, the inflammatory process in the mammary gland can go through several stages, on the basis of which the following forms of lactational mastitis are distinguished: serous, infiltrative, purulent. The first two forms are reversible – the inflammatory process can subside on the background of conservative treatment. Purulent mastitis requires an urgent operation. A delay in its implementation usually leads to the spread of the pathological process, the involvement of new areas of the mammary gland in it. In the future, with a similar course of the disease, serious problems may arise associated with the formation of a defect and deformation of the mammary gland.

Treatment of lactational mastitis depends on its form. With serous and infiltrative mastitis, the main tasks of conservative treatment are associated with the elimination of lactostasis, antibiotic therapy, and improvement of microcirculation in the gland tissue. The fight against lactostasis is the cornerstone in the treatment of lactational mastitis. Without solving this problem, other methods of treatment will not have the desired effect. Expression of the mammary glands is usually performed manually, or with the help of special mechanical vacuum devices. Taking into account the infectious process, antibiotic therapy, it is impossible to use the received milk for feeding the child. That is, as a rule, we are talking about a temporary transition to artificial feeding. With positive dynamics against the background of conservative treatment, it is possible to resume breastfeeding 2-3 days after the abolition of antibacterial drugs. If problems arise with the elimination of lactostasis, its recurrent course, it is worth considering the issue of drug suppression of lactation, without waiting for the transition of inflammation to a purulent-destructive phase. The diagnosis of purulent lactational mastitis (in addition to clinical data, ultrasound examination is of great importance) is the basis for performing urgent surgical intervention. Tasks of surgical treatment: opening of the abscess, necrectomy, wound drainage. An important question is how to deal with lactation in the postoperative period. You can try to save it by ensuring adequate pumping of the mammary glands. Practice shows that there can be serious problems with the operated gland. Often there is ongoing stagnation of milk, which can contribute to the progression and spread of the inflammatory process. Therefore, often with purulent mastitis, the question of the possibility and expediency of maintaining lactation is decided in the direction of its termination.

Prevention of lactational mastitis is implemented in two main directions:

1) Preparation of nipples for feeding in the prenatal period + hygiene procedures during feeding

2) Fight against lactostasis in case of its occurrence

Non-lactational mastitis

9000 2 As the name suggests, the inflammatory process in this case develops in the non-lactating mammary gland. While similar to lactational mastitis in etiology (bacterial infection, most often Staphylococcus aureus), the pathogenesis of these forms of inflammation of the breast tissue is largely different. The most common background against which non-lactational mastitis develops is such a common disease in the modern world as fibrocystic mastopathy. It can exist for many years without causing significant complaints in patients. When an infection joins (cysts suppurate), everything changes overnight. An acute inflammatory process causes most patients to immediately consult a doctor. In the diagnosis of the disease, in addition to clinical data (redness, induration, pain, fever), ultrasound and puncture are of primary importance. The severity of inflammation in non-lactational mastitis, as a rule, is less than in lactation, which often leads to attempts at long-term conservative treatment on an outpatient basis. It is rarely effective enough. In the best case, the inflammatory process from the acute phase becomes chronic.