ANALYSIS OF FACTORS RELATED TO BREAST ABSCESS: A PROSPECTIVE POPULATION ‐ BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Breast abscess is defined as localized collection of pus under the skin in breast tissue1. Infection of the breast may occur as a localized phenomenon or as part of systemic illness. The common acute infective conditions are usually easy to diagnose. The importance of rarer infection of breast lies in the similarity of their presentation to carcinoma, a painless indurated mass. There are a number of infective conditions which are now uncommon but are of historical interest. Tuberculosis remains important with respect to immunocompromised patients and Indian subcontinent. Except during the post-partum period, infections of the breast are rare and are classified as intrinsic (secondary to abnormality in the breast) or extrinsic (secondary to an infection in an adjacent structure e.g. skin, thoracic cavity).2 Studies based on hospital experiences likely to give a distorted picture of the true incidence of breast infection. In hospital practice, non-puerperal abscess is more common than lactational abscess, 3, and 4 but in general practice approximately 80% of infective episodes were puerperal