MASTITIS

Acute mastitis, usually caused by bacteria , begins almost exclusively in the first three weeks of nursing and can be cured with antibiotics without stopping nursing. The breasts may become swollen, red, hard, and tender; without treatment abscesses may occur. Mastitis can be localized or widespread, and the breast's lymphatic system may be involved. Girls may have brief hormone-induced breast inflammation soon after birth and during puberty. Chronic mastitis usually occurs in systemic diseases (e.g., tuberculosis , {{link=syphilis">syphilis ). One rare type is seen mostly in older women with a history of difficult nursing. Some mastitis cases resemble certain cancers.