Mastitis/breast abscesses

Question 1

What are the two categories of breast infection?

Answer 1

1. Infective/non-infective mastitis - primary condition
2. breast abcess - complication

Question 2

Which patients does infection of the breast most commonly affect?

Answer 2

women aged 15-45yrs

especially those lactating

Question 3

which pathogen is:

a) most commonly
b) rarely

isolated in infection of the breast?

Answer 3

a) stapholycoccyus aureus
b) Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Question 4

Define mastitis

Answer 4

inflammation of the breast, with or without infection

Question 5

What is the progession (complication) of mastitis if not treated in a timely manner?

Answer 5

mastitis –> abcess

BUT abcesses are not always associated with mastitis

Question 6

is infectious mastitis always lactational?

Answer 6

no, mastitis can be:

• lactational (puerperal)
• non-lactational (e.g. duct ectasia)

Question 7

can non-infectious mastitis be lactional?

Answer 7

NO

Question 8

give examples of non-infectious mastitis

Answer 8

• idiopathic granulomatous inflammation
• other inflammatory conditions (e.g., foreign body reaction)

Question 9

Define breast abcess

Answer 9

localised area of infection with a walled-off collection of pus

Question 10

What is the global prevalence of mastitis in lactating women?

Answer 10

~1-10%

Question 11

what % of women w mastitis develop breast abcesses?

a) all women
b) lactating/breastfeeding women

Answer 11

a) 3-11%
b) ~3%

Question 12

what is a mammary fistula?

Answer 12

wdadwasd

Question 13

what % of women w mastitis develop mammary fistulas?

Answer 13

1-2%