Is plasma cell mastitis serious?

Plasma cell mastitis is a manifestation of mastitis. It is a relatively special type of mastitis that is related to accumulation and overflow. This condition has a relatively large impact on life and is also quite harmful. It often causes redness and swelling of the skin, local fever and tenderness of the skin, and in severe cases, it is easy to develop swollen lymph nodes, etc. Let’s take a look at this aspect.

Is plasma cell mastitis serious?

During the acute period of plasma cell mastitis, there will not be obvious symptoms. There will be spontaneous or intermittent nipple discharge, and the secretions will overflow when squeezing. The discharge is brown or bloody or purulent. This symptom can last for many years. The lipid secretions in the duct are decomposed and irritated, and the duct wall is eroded. After seeping into the extraductal mammary stroma, an acute inflammatory reaction will occur. At this time, there will be symptoms of skin redness, fever and tenderness.

During the subacute period, anti-inflammatory treatment should be carried out. On the basis of the original inflammatory changes, reactive fibrous tissue hyperplasia will occur, and a lump with slight pain and tenderness will form in the areola area. The edge of the lump is also unclear, and like a breast abscess, the size is also different. Pus will often be extracted when the tumor is punctured. Sometimes a pus fistula is formed after the tumor ruptures naturally. During the chronic period, the disease will recur and may cause one or more hard nodules with unclear boundaries, located within the areola and adhered to the surrounding tissues. The nipple will retract and severe patients may also have breast deformation, serous or bloody discharge, and the axillary lymph nodes may be affected.

Treatment

The treatment of plasma cell mastitis mainly depends on the degree of mammary duct dilatation and the condition of periductal inflammation, and different treatment plans are selected.

1. When local inflammation is obvious, combined treatment with antibiotics including anti-anaerobic antibiotics should be used, and a combination of Chinese and Western medicine can also be used.

2. After an abscess is formed, it often ruptures on its own, forming a fistula and causing a breast lump, or when nipple discharge is thick and sticky, surgical treatment should be performed. The following two procedures are commonly used.

(1) Local lumpectomy: It is suitable for patients with simple breast lumps and localized lumps.

(2) Quadrant, hemi-mastectomy, and total mastectomy: Suitable for patients with large tumors that occupy the entire breast or most of the breast.