Mastitis, inflammation of breast tissues, can be classified into lactational and non-lactational mastitis including periductal mastitis and idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Lactational mastitis is the most common form and usually occurs after a period of incomplete drainage and milk stasis. Some take home messages are as below.
A key consideration in treating lactational mastitis is continuing to empty the breast,
- Encouraging patients to continue to breastfeed if desired, or
- Encouraging the use of a breast pump or hand expression
Supportive measures can be used to manage lactational mastitis conservatively for the first 12 to 24 hours
- Antibiotic treatment should be started if symptoms do not improve after this period
If there is no improvement of symptoms in 24 to 28 hours,
- Possibility of a breast abscess should be considered and an ultrasound should be obtained
Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis, a rare condition, is often mistaken for breast carcinoma
- A biopsy must be carried out to diagnose the condition and to eliminate more serious pathology
Link to publication:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557782/?report=reader
WYE-EM-279-NOV-20
Blackmon MM, Nguyen H, Mukherji P. Acute Mastitis. 2020 Jul 21. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan. PMID: 32491714.
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