MASTITIS
Mastitis is inflammation of the breast tissues. An inflammatory process (abscess, furuncle, etc.) localized to the skin and subcutaneous tissue that cover the mammary gland is called paramastitis.
Mastitis takes one of the leading places among puerperal purulent-inflammatory diseases (up to 2-3%). In different years, the ratio of lactational mastitis cases to the number of births ranges from 3% to 18%. According to V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky (1956), the founder of purulent surgery in Russia, "mastitis is as old as the human race; many millions of women suffered from it, and from time immemorial, doctors have been trying to find effective ways to treat it". However, despite the good knowledge of women about the nature of the disease, delayed visits to the doctor are common, and women seeking medical intervention are often already at an advanced stage of the destructive processes. Late hospitalization in some cases is caused by unreasonably long outpatient treatment.
Mastitis can develop in women and men at any age. In newborns, gland swelling and even milk-like secretion from the nipples are sometimes noted. These changes are considered as being due to the influence of maternal hormones. During puberty, adolescents of both sexes have the so-called juvenile mastitis: the mammary glands swell, become denser; soreness, sometimes skin hyperemia are observed; regional lymph nodes are enlarged; milk-like discharge from the nipples may be observed. However, suppuration of the mammary gland both in newborns and in adolescents is extremely rare. Thermal procedures usually stop the process. Mastitis can follow a mammary gland injury. In this case, it is easily treated with physiotherapy, antibiotics and, as a rule, does not require surgical intervention.