Mastitis and breast abscess

Case history #1

A 28-year-old woman in her second postpartum week presents with recent-onset breast pain and a tender wedge-shaped area in one breast that feels firm, warm, and swollen, and appears erythematous. She has decreased milk output, flu-like symptoms, pyrexia of 100.4°F (38°C), and myalgia, in addition to feeling fatigued.

Case history #2

A 30-year-old woman with a history of mastitis presents with sharp shooting breast pain and an exquisitely tender, swollen, red, and warm fluctuant periareolar breast mass. [Figure caption and citation for the preceding image starts]: Nonlactating breast abscess due to periductal mastitisFrom the collection of Mr R. Vashisht, West Middlesex University Hospital, London; used with permission [Citation ends].

Other presentations

Atypical presentations may include mastitis and/or abscesses involving both breasts; the development of multiple breast abscesses; associated nipple inversion and/or retraction; and septicemia and/or toxic shock syndrome.

Inflammation of the male breast may occur but is unusual. Epidemic (hospital-acquired) puerperal mastitis is infrequent. Uncommon causes of breast inflammation include myiasis (maggot infestation) and self-inflicted mastitis (mastitis factitia).