Inflammatory breast masses

Abstract EN

From January 2, 2010 to December 31, 2011 ; 190 patients, attended Breast Clinic in Al-Sadder Teaching Hospital, 28 patients 14.8% of them have been proved to have inflammatory breast masses.

The majority were lactating ladies (25 out of 28) 89.2 %, most of them were inadequately treated; in 14 patients 56 % that was because of patients’ wrong thoughts that any surgical intervention to the breast may eventually cause cancer, while the in the rest was due to inadequate treatment with antibiotics only.

Although the history of the lactating patients was so suggestive of their inflammatory nature, still some clinical findings were so similar to those associated with breast cancer ; 57.1 % had axillary lymph nodes enlargement, 64.2 % had skin, and 7.1 % had nipple changes.

Mammography and ultrasonography couldn't decisively distinguish between the two.

However, FNAC was of great assistance, and its results were so close to that of the open biopsy in all patients 100 %.

The remaining three patients ; one male patient was proved to have TB mastitis while the other male had a non-specific mastitis due to a repetitive trauma.

The only post-menopausal lady was proved to have chronic pyogenic mastitis.

The conclusion is that an inadequate treatment of breast abscess leaves a mass that requires more laborious, and worrisome investigations.

Therefore, the proper treatment is an essential step in the avoidance of this inconvenience, and this is the objective of this study.