The incidence of non-lactating mastitis has gradually increased in recent years, but its cause is unknown, making treatment difficult. Most patients have a long course of the disease, even up to several years. The recurrence of breast abscesses, breast lumps and sinus tract formation, and even repeated surgical incisions and drains can cause breast deformities and eventually force the removal of the breast. Wang Huiyuan, Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
At this year’s China Surgery Week conference, Professor Wang Chip from Guangdong Women’s and Children’s Hospital reported that for these patients, the etiology is likely to be a non-tuberculous branching bacillus infection (which can be interpreted as non-tuberculous branching bacillus belonging to the same general group of bacteria as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but not Mycobacterium tuberculosis as we know it in the general population). All of these patients have been treated with repeated applications of spectral antibiotics, surgical incision and drainage, and long-term drug changes with poor results. By reviewing the literature, Prof. Chip Wang et al. considered these patients as non-tuberculous mycobacterial branch infection and gave triple drug therapy with isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol, and all patients were cured. The results were excellent.
After listening to Prof. Wang Chip’s report, I was very interested. We have treated several cases of non-lactating mastitis before and the treatment process was very difficult. When I looked into the foreign literature, I did not see such a novel idea and such good results.
I came back to the literature and downloaded the article published by Prof. Chip Wang and others in the Chinese Journal of Breast Diseases (electronic version) and read it carefully, and reproduce some of its contents here in the hope that it will be helpful to patients who suffer from this disease and have to seek medical help, as well as to colleagues who have difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
This is a screenshot from Prof. Wang’s article. a is before treatment, b is after treatment; c is before treatment and d is after treatment in another patient.
Literature cited from: Jianmin Yang, Chip Wang, Antai Zhang, et al. Clinical differentiation and management of peri-catheteral mastitis and granulomatous inflammatory mastitis. Chinese Journal of Breast Diseases (electronic version); 2011(5): 306-312.