Detailed explanation of the symptoms of non-lactation mastitis, a must-read for women!

When it comes to mastitis, most people probably think of postpartum women, but the incidence of non-lactation mastitis has also been rising sharply in recent years. So what are the specific symptoms of non-lactation mastitis?

Symptoms of non-lactational mastitis

Acute breast abscess type: The patient suddenly develops breast redness, swelling, heat, pain and abscess formation. Fluctuation can often be felt during physical examination, and in some cases the abscess may rupture on its own and discharge pus. Local manifestations are severe and rapid, but the systemic inflammatory response is mild, with moderate fever or no fever. In a few cases, leukocytosis is not obvious.

Breast lump type: Breast lumps appear gradually, with slight or no pain, no redness or swelling of the skin, clear boundaries of the lumps, and no history of fever. This type is often misdiagnosed as breast cancer.

Chronic fistula type: There is often a history of recurrent breast inflammation and pain, and some cases may have a history of surgical drainage. The fistula may be connected to the input tube near the nipple and may not heal for a long time. In severe cases, multiple fistulas and breast deformation may occur, and there may often be repeated pus discharge and inflammatory masses in the breast or around the fistula.

How to identify non-lactation mastitis

Diagnosis

Ultrasound examination: Inhomogeneous masses or small abscesses or multiple small abscess cavities in the center may be seen.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy: pus can be extracted, and if the tumor is substantial, aspiration cytology examination may be performed, during which inflammatory cells may be seen.

Pathological examination: Pathological examination of the abscess wall, fistula wall and the intact mass removed can establish the diagnosis.

Any young or middle-aged person who develops acute breast abscesses, inflammatory masses, and chronic, recurring fistulas during the non-lactating period and does not heal for a long time can be diagnosed.

Differential diagnosis of non-lactational mastitis

Breast cancer: easily confused with the mass-type in non-lactational mastitis. However, breast cancer patients are mostly middle-aged and elderly people, with a progressive course of the disease. The tumor is firm with unclear boundaries, often with skin lumps and inverted nipples, and prone to axillary lymph node metastasis. There is no redness, swelling or pain in the local skin of the tumor, and no abscess occurs, so it can usually be identified. However, in some individual cases, the final diagnosis still needs to rely on pathological sections.

Plasma cell mastitis: It is also common in middle-aged and elderly people. In the early stage of the disease, there are often symptoms and signs of duct dilatation, such as nipple discharge, beaded nodules in the areola area, etc. The lesions often affect both sides. Pathological biopsy can confirm the diagnosis.