Mastitis – What is it, why does it occur and how can it be treated?

Mastitis is a local inflammation of the milk ducts. This may be only within singular ducts but can also involve the whole breast where the inflammation exceeds the ducts going into the extraglandular tissue. Professor Dr Florian Fitzal, Specialist in Breast Surgery at Wiener Privatklinik, says that the reason it occurs is not clear, however mastitis usually establishes during pregnancy or within the breast feeding period due to abnormal galactostasis.

– This causes an unusual long period of milk resting within the duct causing local overstimulation of the milk epithelium. This overstimulation may cause local inflammation. More over bacteria may better grow within this situation causing bacterial infection of the milk duct and thus bacterial mastitis – says Dr Fitzal.

Usually symptoms are typical for inflammation, redness of the breast, swollen breast, local pain and a warm breast.

– The diagnosis is clinical by anamnesis as well as palpating the breast and performing an ultrasound as well as mammogramm to rule out inflammatory breast cancer. Finally MR-Mammogramm may for further diagnosis. Cancer has to be ruled out if mastitis does not relieve with standard care – the doctor explains.

As he says, usually mastitis is a combination of local inflammation and bacterial overgrowth.

– However inflammatory breast cancer has to be ruled out and is different to classical mastitis. Symptoms are similar however there is usually no pain – he says.

Dr Fitzal warns that mastitis may be complicated if treatment is delayed and abscesses may form. Regarding the treatment he recommends, usually topical cool pads and curd cheese bandages help a lot.

– More over I always recommend the intake of clindamycin 1800mg per day for at least 10 days. A non-wired jogging bra or any type of tight bra may also help relieving the pain. Antiinflammatory drugs such as Parkemed, Deflamat or Mexalen may help to improve symptoms as well – he adds.

What are the rules to follow if mastitis occurs?

– In case of acute mastitis try to cool the breast and use topical curd cheese, if it does not get better within 2-3 days seek a medical doctor and perform an ultrasound and a MR-mammogramm – advises professor Dr Florian Fitzal.
Wiener Privatklinik (WPK) is one of the most influential private clinics in Austria, which has been pronounced one of the best hospitals in the world for the second year in a row. The medical services provided by Wiener Privatklinik are grouped around 15 centers, and the oncology center of this hospital – WPK Central European Academy Cancer Center, is the most complex and reputable private center for cancer diagnostics and treatment in Central and East Europe.

The hospital employs 350 workers and cooperates with over 400 medical doctors, which are experts in the widest variety of fields. As many as nine doctors of this hospital were included by Stanford among the 10% best world scientists.

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