A clinical and bacteriological study of breast abscess in female patients

Abstract EN

In this study, pus samples from seventy-one female patients admitted to the Breast Diseases Center, Hilla Teaching Hospital from September 2004 to June 2005 have been investigated.

The samples have been classified into two groups : the first one included 53 lactating patients, ranging from 17 to 45 years, and the second did 18 non-lactating patients, where age ranged from 3 months to 57 years.

The results have revealed a remarkably high incidence of breast abscess among lactating patients (74.6 %).The high infection rate (54.7 %) in the first group has been among those who were 20-29 years old, whereas in the second group ,the high infection rate (44.4 %) has been among those who were 40-49 years old .It has also been found that the breast abscess is higher among multiparty women (66.2 %).

As for the first group, the high incidence of breast abscess occurs mostly at the third month postpartum (45.3 %).

It has Also been found that the incidence of subcutaneous abscess is higher than other types of breast abscess among the first group patients (52.8 %), whereas in the second group, the subareolar abscess is higher than other types (77.8 %).

Furthermore, it has been found that the high incidence of breast abscess occurs in the left breast (60.56 %).

Meantime, infection is higher among women of rural area (64.8 %).The results of the bacteriological diagnosis have revealed that the species and percentage of bacteria isolated from the first group are Staphylococcus aureus (73.6 %), Moraxella catarrhalis (5.7 %), Streptococcus pyogenes (3.8 %) and Staphylococcus epedermidis (1.9 %).

Whereas in the second group, the bacteria growth has been S.aureus (27.8 %), Arcanobacterium haemolyticum (22.2 %) and M.catarrhalis (11.1 %).