Breast Abscess Research Articles

Treatment of lactational mastitis with Gualou Xiaoyong soup and painless lactation promoting technique: A case series.

Lactational mastitis is a common and frequently disease in clinical practice, characterized by acute inflammation of the mammary ducts and surrounding connective tissues. The main manifestations are damage to the mammary gland acini, edema, and invasion of inflammatory cells. If not treated properly, it may lead to the formation of breast abscesses, or even sepsis, septic shock, and chronic inflammation of the breast, which may cause the disease to persist or recur multiple times, so that the patients suffer extreme pain, and the health of both the mother and child are directly affected. This disease not only causes suffering for women but also may result in the cessation of breastfeeding. Therefore, rapid and effective treatment is particularly important. We report 3 cases of lactation mastitis patients showing good clinical efficacy after being treated with the Chinese medicine Gualou Xiaoyong soup and painless lactation promoting techniques. Gualou Xiaoyong soup combined with painless lactation promotion techniques can significantly reduce and eliminate the clinical symptoms of patients in the short term, and rapidly restore inflammatory indicators such as total white blood cells, neutrophils, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin to normal levels. The patchy low echo area of the breast under B-ultrasound also disappears quickly. Therefore, we believe that this method is a good way to treat lactational mastitis and is worthy of clinical reference and research. However, this study has certain limitations: this study lacks a large sample of prospective controlled studies. Next, we will continue to collect relevant cases and conduct prospective case randomized controlled clinical studies. The treatment of lactation mastitis with Gualou Xiaoyong soup and painless lactation promoting techniques can achieve good clinical results.

Granulomatous lobular mastitis co-existing with ductal carcinoma in situ: Report of three cases and review of the literature

Granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is a benign and infrequent chronic breast ailment. Although this lesion can be clinically and radiographically mistaken for early-onset breast cancer, it is a rare occurrence for the two to coexist. This report describes three such cases. In all three patients, the primary signs and symptoms were related to the formation of diffuse breast masses or abscesses. Breast ultrasound and MRI revealed glandular edema and dilated breast ducts. The biopsies of all lesions exhibited both granulomatous inflammation confined to the lobules of the breast, abundant interstitial inflammatory cell infiltrates, and apparently cancerous cells located in dilated ducts with intact basement membranes. The surgically excised specimens confirmed the diagnosis of GLM and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in all three patients who underwent breast mass resection. By clinical imaging and clinical manifestations, GLM may obscure a concurrent DCIS, as highlighted by the cases reported herein.

Outcomes of breast abscesses during lactation: a retrospective study

Introduction: During breastfeeding one of the most common problems which can encounter is breast abscess. Our retrospective study aimed to assess the outcomes of breast abscesses among a cohort of lactating mothers.Methods: A single-centre retrospective study was carried out. Randomly selected 2000 medical records of mothers, referred as outpatients and hospitalized from 2002 to 2022 were retrieved. There were 32 breastfeeding mothers with breast abscesses. The diagnosis of lactational breast abscess was made by documented signs of a localized inflammatory, palpable breast lump confirmed with an ultrasound findings. From the retrieved database, data on maternal, perinatal, and breastfeeding features, ultrasound scan reports, methods of interventions and outcomes and microbiological testing reports were evaluated. Ethics Committee Approval was received from Nawaloka Research and Education Unit. No conflict of interest.Results: The mean age of the 32 patients was 28.7 ± 5.7 years. There were 85% primiparous and 15% multiparous. Exclusive breastfeeding at diagnosis was present in 20/32 (63%). Most of the women developed breast abscesses during the initial 40 days (36.3 ± 1.4 days) after delivery. The majority of 26/32 (81.3%) of the breast abscesses were <5cm in diameter in the ultrasound examination. The majority of the patients 28/32 (87%) underwent ultrasound-guided aspiration while on antibiotic coverage according to the standard clinical guidelines. Four patients had repeated ultrasound-guided aspiration. Four patients who had abscesses >5cm, with overlying skin necrosis underwent incising and drainage. None of the patients developed mammary fistulae or sinuses. All of the incision and drainage abscesses were healed within 3 to 5 weeks with repeated wound dressings. Ninety-one percent of the cultures revealed S. aureus positive. None of the patients stops breastfeeding during the acute phase.Conclusion: Our retrospective study showed that needle aspiration may be performed, regardless of the size of the breast abscesses in most instances.

Integrative proteomic and metabonomic profiling elucidates amino acid and lipid metabolism disorder in CA-MRSA-infected breast abscesses.

Bacterial culture and drug sensitivity testing have been the gold standard for confirming community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infection in breast abscess with a long history. However, these tests may delay treatment and increase the risk of nosocomial infections. To handle and improve this critical situation, this study aimed to explore biomarkers that could facilitate the rapid diagnosis of CA-MRSA infection. This study for the first time applied label-free quantitative proteomics and non-targeted metabonomics to identify potential differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in breast abscess infected with CA-MRSA compared to methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). The two omics data were integrated and analyzed using bioinformatics, and the results were validated using Parallel Reaction Monitoring (PRM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the predictive efficiency of the identified biomarkers for diagnosing CA-MRSA infection. After using the above-mentioned strategies, 109 DEPs were identified, out of which 86 were upregulated and 23 were downregulated. Additionally, a total of 61 and 26 DEMs were initially screened in the positive and negative ion modes, respectively. A conjoint analysis indicated that the amino acid metabolism, glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways were co-enriched by the upstream DEPs and downstream DEMs, which may be involved in structuring the related network of CA-MRSA infection. Furthermore, three significant DEMs, namely, indole-3-acetic acid, L-(-)-methionine, and D-sedoheptulose 7-phosphate, displayed good discriminative abilities in early identification of CA-MRSA infection in ROC analysis. As there is limited high-quality evidence and multiple omics research in this field, the explored candidate biomarkers and pathways may provide new insights into the early diagnosis and drug resistance mechanisms of CA-MRSA infection in Chinese women.

Oncoplastic breast reduction surgery decreases rates of reoperation with no increased medical risk

The purpose of this study is to compare the oncologic, medical, and surgical outcomes of lumpectomy versus oncoplastic breast reduction surgery (OBRS) on a national scale. A national insurance-based database was queried for patients who had a lumpectomy with or without a same-day breast reduction by Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Patients were then matched by obesity, body mass index range, age, region, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and outcomes were compared. There were 421,455 patients in the lumpectomy group and 15,909 patients in the OBRS group. After matching, 15,134 patients were identified in each group. Repeat lumpectomy or subsequent mastectomy was more common in the lumpectomy group (15.2% vs. 12.2%, p<0.001). OBRS patients had higher rates of 90-day surgical complications including dehiscence, infection, fat necrosis, breast abscesses, and antibiotic prescription (p<0.001). Meanwhile, any medical complication was less common in the OBRS group (3.7% vs. 4.5%, p=0.001). Logistic regression revealed that OBRS was associated with decreased odds of repeat lumpectomy (OR=0.71, 95% CI 0.66-0.77, p<0.001) with no significant increased odds of subsequent mastectomy (OR=1.01, 95% CI 0.91-1.11, p=0.914).OBRS was found to be associated with decreased risk for reoperation in the form of lumpectomy without increased likelihood of subsequent mastectomy. Although OBRS was associated with increased wound complications, medical complications were found to occur less frequently. This study endorses increased consideration of OBRS when lumpectomy or OBRS is appropriate.

Mastitis and Mammary Abscess Management Audit (MAMMA) in the UK and Ireland.

The aim of this multicentre prospective audit was to describe the current practice in the management of mastitis and breast abscesses in the UK and Ireland, with a specific focus on rates of surgical intervention. This audit was conducted in two phases from August 2020 to August 2021; a phase 1 practice survey and a phase 2 prospective audit. Primary outcome measurements for phase 2 included patient management pathway characteristics and treatment type (medical/radiological/surgical). A total of 69 hospitals participated in phase 2 (1312 patients). The key findings were a high overall rate of incision and drainage (21.0 per cent) and a lower than anticipated proportion of ultrasound-guided aspiration of breast abscesses (61.0 per cent). Significant variations were observed regarding the rate of incision and drainage (range 0-100 per cent; P < 0.001) and the rate of needle aspiration (range 12.5-100 per cent; P < 0.001) between individual units. Overall, 22.5 per cent of patients were admitted for inpatient treatment, out of whom which 72.9 per cent were commenced on intravenous antibiotics. The odds of undergoing incision and drainage for a breast abscess or being admitted for inpatient treatment were significantly higher if patients presented at the weekend compared with a weekday (P ≤ 0.023). Breast specialists reviewed 40.9 per cent of all patients directly, despite the majority of patients (74.2 per cent) presenting within working hours on weekdays. Variation in practice exists in the management of mastitis and breast abscesses, with high rates of incision and drainage in certain regions of the UK. There is an urgent need for a national best-practice toolbox to minimize practice variation and standardize patient care.

Comparison of ultrasound guided aspiration versus incision drainage in breast abscess

Objective: is to compare the outcomes of ultrasound guided needle aspiration technique with traditional incision and drainage technique in breast abscess.&#x0D; Methodology: Study was randomized controlled trial conducted at general surgery department of Nishtar Hospital; Multan from 9th may 2023 to 8th November 2023 in 6 months’ duration. A total of 228 patients were enrolled in study and divided into two groups A and B. Group A include 143 patients aspirated with ultrasound guided needle aspiration and in group B 85 patients treated with incision and drainage method. Main outcomes were hospital stay, pain intensity, location and size of abscess, parity and demographics.&#x0D; Results: The mean duration of pain in Group A and Group B was 5.79±2.18 days and 7.01±2.38 days, respectively, (p&lt;0.001). Further, the mean duration of fever, volume of pus, size of USG was almost equal in both the groups, (p&gt;0.050). The distribution of site of abscess of both the groups were shown in figure. I. The difference was statistically significant, (p&lt;0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: Needle aspiration of a breast abscess with ultrasonographic guidance combined with antibiotics is a commonly used and effective approach in the treatment of breast abscesses. This method is especially valuable when dealing with abscesses of small size.

Challenges in Interpretation of US Breast Findings in the Emergency Setting.

Emergencies in breast imaging are infrequent but not rare. Although infectious conditions such as mastitis and breast abscess are the most common breast diseases encountered in acute care settings, other entities that may require additional imaging or different treatment approaches are also seen and include traumatic injury and breast cancer. While mammography is widely available for breast evaluation in outpatient facilities, most emergency departments do not have mammography units. This makes evaluation of patients with breast disease incomplete in the acute care setting and emphasizes the role of appropriate US techniques for interpretation. It also highlights the importance of effective sonographer-to-radiologist communication to ensure patient safety and diagnostic accuracy, especially in an era of increasing adoption of teleradiology. The authors discuss the challenges in image acquisition and remote interpretation that are commonly faced by radiologists when they assess breast anomalies in the emergency setting. They present strategies to overcome these challenges by describing techniques for proper US evaluation, highlighting the importance of sonographer-radiologist communication, defining the goals of the evaluation, reviewing common differential diagnoses, and providing appropriate follow-up recommendations. ©RSNA, 2023 Quiz questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

Indwelling Needle Puncture and Irrigation in the Conservative Treatment of Breast Abscess During Non-Lactation Period.

The objective of this study is to observe the effect of indwelling needle puncture and irrigation in the conservative treatment of breast abscesses in the non-lactation period. Non-lactating breast abscess patients were treated at the Daping Medical Breast Surgery Clinic, Chongqing. In the Incisive drainage group, 21 patients were treated with conventional incision and drainage. In the Indwelling needle group, 20 patients were treated by puncture and irrigation with a 20 G indwelling needle. The pain VAS scores and wound satisfaction in the Indwelling needle group were significantly lower than those in the Incisive drainage group (P < 0.001), and the cure time and complications were also significantly lower in the Indwelling needle group (P < 0.05). The cure rates of the two groups were similar (P > 0.05). There was a difference in the duration of illness, location, and number of pus cavities between the treatment failure and the treatment recovery (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in the size of the pus cavity and the maximum amount of pus aspiration (P > 0.05). The indwelling needle can be used as an effective tool for puncture and irrigation of single breast abscess in a non-lactation period, potentially for non-invasive treatment of breast abscesses.

Azithromycin to Prevent Sepsis of Death in Women Planning a Vaginal Birth

ABSTRACT A high proportion of peripartum maternal deaths are caused by infection and sepsis, and this proportion continues to rise. In addition, neonatal sepsis is the third most common cause of neonatal death; the 2 conditions are connected in that maternal infection causes an increased risk of neonatal sepsis. Recent studies have shown azithromycin to be effective in reducing instances of maternal infection after an unplanned cesarean delivery, but its effectiveness for infections related to vaginal delivery has not yet been examined. This study, A-PLUS (Azithromycin Prevention in Labor Use Study), was designed to investigate the effectiveness of azithromycin in women planning a vaginal delivery. This study was conducted as a multicountry, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial over 8 sites in 7 countries. Primary outcomes included maternal sepsis or death within 6 weeks of delivery, as well as stillbirth, neonatal death, or sepsis within 4 weeks of delivery. Secondary maternal outcomes included related components, such as specific infections of chorioamnionitis, endometritis, perineal wound infection, abdominal or pelvic abscess, mastitis or breast abscess, pneumonia, or pyelonephritis, as well as therapeutic use of antibiotics, duration of hospital stay, readmission, admission to a special care unit, and unscheduled health care visits. Secondary outcomes relating to neonates included similar components, specific infection, the duration of hospital stay, readmission, admission to a special care unit, unscheduled health care visits, and safety outcomes (adverse events related to medication). Final analysis included 29,278 women, with 14,590 women (and 14,687 neonates or stillbirths) in the azithromycin group and 14,688 women (and 14,782 neonates or stillbirths) in the placebo group. Maternal sepsis or death was observed in 227 patients in the azithromycin group and 344 patients in the placebo group (adjusted relative risk, 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56–0.79; P &lt; 0.001). Sepsis was the case in 219 in the azithromycin group and 339 in the placebo group (relative risk, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.55–0.77), and death from sepsis was rare. For neonates, stillbirth, death, or sepsis was observed in 1540 in the azithromycin group and 1526 in the placebo group (relative risk, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.95–1.09), with sepsis accounting for 1433 and 1407 cases in the azithromycin and placebo groups, respectively. Both the outcomes of stillbirth and neonatal death were relatively uncommon. Maternal adverse effects experienced from the medication were not significantly different between groups, and the azithromycin group had noticeably reduced risk of endometritis, wound infections, and several others when compared with the placebo group. These results indicate that azithromycin is consistently effective in lowering the risk of infection and sepsis in mothers and infants during vaginal delivery. The number treated to prevent 1 case of maternal death or sepsis was 125; this is consistent with previous research in individuals undergoing cesarean delivery. Although azithromycin was effective at preventing maternal infection and sepsis, there were no significant effects on neonatal outcomes. This is consistent with most previous research; reasons for discrepancies could be inclusion of different types of infections and differences in antibiotic treatment between countries. Further research could improve the generalizability of these findings by focusing on factors that influence the effectiveness of azithromycin and that impact its clinical use.

A Case Report on The Recognition of Granulomatous Mastitis and its Treatment

Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a rare disease, the pathophysiology of which is not yet understood. It is a benign condition that commonly presents as a painful and erythematous mass. Due to its vague presentation, GM is often mistaken for breast abscess, cellulitis, and even breast cancer. It is definitively diagnosed through histopathological studies, as common imaging modalities are often non-revealing. Due to its rarity,there is not yet a clear management method for patientswith GM. This case report details the presentation of a patient with histopathological confirmed granulomatous mastitis and her response to high dose steroids as a treatment. There is a lack of studies regarding the management of GM and this case indicates that the use of steroids is a reasonable avenue for further investigation.

90 Breast Abscess Management: What Is Best for Breast?

Abstract Aim To assess the speed of resolution of breast abscesses presenting to the unit. There is significant variation in the management of breast abscesses between units at a national level. Whilst the MAMMA study results are awaited, we wished to understand our unit’s outcomes in order to improve the patient journey. Method A single centre retrospective service evaluation of acute breast abscesses. The project was approved on the hospitals online QSIS system. The data was collected by interrogating the health records database using the following criteria: female, minimum age 16, presenting between 01/01/2017 - 31/12/2021. ICD codes for; breast abscess and/or breast infection were analysed with Excel (v16.40). Results 298 notes were reviewed as a representative sample of outcomes (n = 700). 73 patients (24.5%) were correctly coded to have a breast abscess. The median age was 41 years (IQR 50-29.5). All received an USS scan within 24 hours. The cohort was stratified along smokers (32%) and lactational (23%) risk factors. Smokers were most likely to require I&amp;D (39%) and had the longest duration of antibiotics (24 days). The median time for resolution was similar between those treated with serial aspirations (40 days) and those who needed I&amp;D (42 days). Conclusions The study demonstrated prompt access to USS and aspirations. Each abscess presentation took approximately 1 month to resolve and needed 4 visits to the unit. This aspect of care is an area for improvement so that we can streamline the process and take pressure off valuable clinic slots.

A rare case of breast tuberculosis: case report

Abstract Breast tuberculosis is a rare form of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. It accounts for less than 0.1% of breast conditions in developed countries but reaches about 3-4% in developing high TB endemic regions. It usually occurs in multiparous and lactating women. The clinical, radiological and pathological presentation may often mimic breast abscess, idiopathic granulomatous mastitis or carcinoma. The most common presentation is that of a lump. Constitutional symptoms are not usually present. The most common site is the right upper outer quadrant of the breast. It also occurs in association with Immunosuppression disorders such as HIV. Here we present a case of a young, multiparous non- lactating woman with tubercular mastitis, confirmed by FNAC of the mass. The Tuberculin skin test was positive and the patient improved with anti-tubercular treatment.

Persistent Pediatric Breast Abscesses Following Initial Treatment at Tertiary and Community Centers

IntroductionLittle data exist on the management of pediatric breast abscesses that fail initial treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate and report outcomes in these patients. MethodsAll patients <18-year-old treated for a breast abscess between January 2008 and December 2018 were included. Patients were divided into two groups: initial treatment at our institution (Group 1) and initial treatment at referring centers (Group 2). The primary outcome was disease persistence following treatment at our institution. Secondary outcomes included treatment modalities and patient characteristics. ResultsIn total, 145 patients were identified: 111 in Group 1 and 34 in Group 2. Antibiotics alone were the initial treatment in 52.3% (n = 58) of Group 1 patients and 64.7% (n = 22) of Group 2 patients. Invasive treatment was more common in Group 1 (45.9% vs 5.8%; P < 0.00001). Patients with persistent disease in Group 1 were treated with aspiration (n = 7, 50%), incision and drainage (n = 5, 35.7%), antibiotics (n = 1, 7.14%), and manual expression (n = 1, 7.14%.), while Group 2 patients were treated with antibiotics (50%, n = 17), aspiration (26.47%, n = 9), incision and drainage (17.65%, n = 6), and manual expression (5.88%, n = 2). Group 2 patients with persistent disease were more likely to be treated with antibiotics or a change in antibiotics (50% vs 7.14%; P = 0.005). Following treatment at our institution, the rate of persistent disease was similar between groups (12.6% vs 11.8%). ConclusionsPersistent breast abscesses may be treated with antibiotics in appropriate cases. Damage to the developing breast bud should be minimized. Disease persistence is similar once treated at tertiary care centers.

Maternal obesity and the risk of postpartum infections according to mode of delivery

Objective The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of different maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) classes on the risk of postpartum endometritis, wound infection, and breast abscess after different modes of delivery. Secondly to estimate how the risk of postpartum infection varies with different maternal BMI groups after induction of labor and after obstetric anal sphincter injuries. Methods A population-based observational study including women who gave birth during eight years (N = 841,780). Data were collected from three Swedish Medical Health Registers, the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Swedish National Patient Register, and the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. Outcomes were defined by ICD-10 codes given within eight weeks postpartum. The reference population was uninfected women. Odds ratios were determined using Mantel–Haenszel technique. Year of delivery, maternal age, parity and smoking in early pregnancy were considered as confounders. Results There was a dose-dependent relationship between an increasing maternal BMI and a higher risk for postpartum infections. Women in obesity class II and III had an increased risk for endometritis after normal vaginal delivery aOR 1.45 (95% CI: 1.29–1.63) and for wound infections after cesarean section aOR 3.83 (95% CI: 3.39–4.32). There was no difference in how maternal BMI affected the association between cesarean section and wound infection, regardless of whether it was planned or emergent. Women in obesity class II and III had a lower risk of breast abscess compared with normal-weight women, aOR 0.47 (95% CI: 0.38–0.58). The risk of endometritis after labor induction decreased with increasing maternal BMI. The risk of wound infection among women with an obstetrical sphincter injury decreased with increasing BMI. Conclusion This study provides new knowledge about the impact of maternal BMI on the risk of postpartum infections after different modes of delivery. There was no difference in how BMI affected the association between cesarean section and wound infections, regardless of whether it was a planned cesarean section or an emergency cesarean section.

Neonatal giant mastauxe: a case report.

A 13-day-term male neonate presented with bilateral breast enlargement and milky nipple discharge, which worsened upon breast massage. The mother had an uneventful pregnancy, and neither the mother nor the baby had a history of drug intake. The examination revealed soft, non-tender, non-erythematous bilateral breast swellings measuring 3.6×3.8cm on the right side and 3.2×3.4cm on the left side. Ultrasonography confirmed their hypoechoic nature with minimum vascularization. The white blood cell count, C-reactive protein levels, and culture of nipple discharge yielded normal results. The baby was discharged, and upon follow-up after 2 weeks, it was observed that breast swellings had spontaneously reduced in size. Neonatal breast enlargement can occur as a result of either the transplacental transfer of maternal estrogens or declining levels of estrogens toward the end of pregnancy, leading to hyperprolactinemia. However, the exact reasons behind the occurrence of giant mastauxe in some newborns remain incompletely understood. It may be due to increased sensitivity of the breast tissue to estrogens. Proper clinical examination, along with the use of ultrasonography and/or laboratory investigations if required, is essential to differentiate giant mastauxe from neonatal mastitis or breast abscess. Treatment primarily involves observation and providing reassurance to parents.

The challenges of diagnosis and treatment of rare Prevotella-induced breast abscesses: A retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveAlthough the genus Prevotella is part of the general human microbiota, species of this anaerobic gram-negative bacterium have been described as causes of persisting nonpuerperal breast abscesses. Collecting punctate samples and testing these samples for anaerobic bacteria is not part of the common diagnostic workflow in atypical breast abscesses. The causative anaerobic micro-organism can remain unclear and patients can be treated with multiple inadequate antibiotics and/or extensive surgical procedures. The aim of this cohort study of Prevotella induced breast abscesses is to gain more insights into the diagnostic procedures and treatment. MethodsMedical charts of patients with a Prevotella induced breast abscess between 2015 and 2021, were retrospectively reviewed on patient characteristics, diagnostic procedures, treatment and outcome. ResultsTwenty-one patients were included. Six subspecies of Prevotella were determined by culturing. High susceptibility was observed for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (100%, n = 12). Nine patients (43%) were treated with antibiotics, eight patients (38%) with antibiotics and incision and drainage, and four patients (19%) with only incision and drainage. Recurrence was observed in nine patients (43%), of whom five patients were treated with antibiotics and three patients had surgery. The mean duration of antibiotic administration in patients with recurrence was significantly shorter compared to those without recurrence (5.6 days vs. 19.5 days, p = 0.039). ConclusionSpecific anaerobic culturing should be common practice in atypical breast abscesses to confirm Prevotella species. The high recurrence rate emphasizes the need of further research for optimal treatment. Prolonged duration of antibiotics could be considered and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid seems to be the first choice.

Breaking the Barrier: A Study on Multi-drug Resistance in Breast Abscess at an Academic Malaysian Hospital.

In recent years, the increase in antibiotics usage locally has led to a worrying emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO), with the Malaysian prevalence rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ranging from 17.2 to 28.1% between 1999 and 2017. A study has shown that 7% of all non-lactational breast abscesses are caused by MRSA. Although aspiration offers less morbidities compared to surgical drainage, about 20% of women infected by MRSA who initially underwent aspiration subsequently require surgical drainage. This study is conducted to determine the link between aetiology, antimicrobial resistance pattern and treatment modalities of breast abscesses. Retrospective study of reviewing microbiology specimens of breast abscess patients treated at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre from 2015 to 2020. Data collected from microbiology database and electronic medical records were analysed using SPSS V21. A total of 210 specimens from 153 patients were analysed. One-fifth (19.5%) of the specimens isolated were MDRO. Lactational associated infections had the largest proportion of MDR in comparison to non-lactational and secondary infections (38.5%, 21.7%, 25.7%, respectively; p = 0.23). Staphylococcus epidermidis recorded the highest number of MDR (n = 12) followed by S. aureus (n = 8). Adjusted by aetiological groups, the presence of MDRO is linked to failure of single aspirations (p = 0.554) and significantly doubled the risk of undergoing surgical drainage for resolution (p = 0.041). MDR in breast abscess should be recognised as an increasing healthcare burden due to a paradigm shift of MDRO and a rise of resistance cases among lactational associated infection that were vulnerable to undergo surgical incision and drainage for resolution.

Predictive Risk Factors for Childbirth-Associated Breast Infections in the United States: A 10-Year Perspective.

Infectious mastitis is a common condition that affects up to 33% of lactating women. Several risk factors have been suggested to be strongly associated with breast abscess, nipple infection, and non-purulent mastitis associated with childbirth. In this retrospective cohort study, we gathered data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) between 2005 and 2014 and utilized data stratification and backward linear regression to analyze the predictive factors associated with patients hospitalized with breast infection after childbirth, with special consideration of risk factors affecting hospital length of stay (LOS). In the ten-year period, 4614 women were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of breast abscess, nipple infection, or non-purulent mastitis associated with childbirth. Mean (SD) age was 26.75 (6) years. The highest frequency distribution of cases was observed in patients aged 22-30 years (49.82%). Mean (SD) LOS was 2.83 (1.95) days. Mean (SD) LOS in patients with procedure was 3.53 (2.47) days, which was significantly longer than that in those with no procedure (2.39 (1.36) days, p < 0.001). Primary diagnosis of breast abscess and occurrence of a hospital procedure were most significantly associated with prolonged LOS. Factors such as age, socioeconomic position, severity of functional loss, as well as comorbidities were also contributing risk factors to the development of breast infection and increased hospital LOS. Further studies should examine these findings, as they relate to breastfeeding practices and concentrate on establishing best practices for risk reduction and prevention of childbirth-associated breast and nipple infections and hospitalizations.

A rare spontaneous breast abscess due to Mycobacterium chelonae: a case report

BackgroundMycobacterium chelonae, a nontuberculous mycobacterium, commonly causes skin, soft tissue, eye, pulmonary, catheter-related, and post-surgical infections in patients with immunosuppression or trauma. M. chelonae breast infections are rare, and most cases occur following cosmetic surgery. Here, we report the first case of spontaneous breast abscess due to M. chelonae.Case presentationA 22-year-old Japanese woman presented at our hospital with swelling and pain in the right breast for the past 2 weeks without any fever. She had a 19-month-old child and stopped breastfeeding 1 month after giving birth. The patient had no history of trauma or breast surgeries, no family history of breast cancer, and was not immunocompromised. Breast ultrasonography revealed a heterogeneous hypoechoic lesion with multiple fluid-filled areas suspected to be abscesses. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 64 × 58 × 62 mm, ill-defined, high-signal-intensity lesion with multiple ring enhancements in the upper half of the right breast. The first diagnosis was inflammatory breast cancer or granulomatous mastitis with abscess. A core needle biopsy led to drainage of pus. Gram staining did not reveal any bacteria in the pus, but the colonies from the biopsy grew on blood and chocolate agar cultures. Mass spectrometry detected M. chelonae in these colonies. Histopathological findings revealed mastitis without malignancy. The patient's treatment regimen was oral clarithromycin (CAM) based on susceptibility. Three weeks later, although the pus had reduced, the induration in the breast did not resolve; therefore, multidrug antibiotic treatment was initiated. The patient received amikacin and imipenem infusion therapy for 2 weeks, followed by continuation of CAM. Three weeks later, tenderness in the right breast recurred with slight pus discharge. Hence, minocycline (MINO) was added to the treatment. The patient stopped CAM and MINO treatment 2 weeks later. There was no recurrence 2 years after treatment.ConclusionWe report a case of M. chelonae breast infection and abscess formation in a 22-year-old Japanese woman without obvious risk factors. M. chelonae infection should be considered in cases of intractable breast abscess, even in patients without immunosuppression or trauma.