The breasts contain a number of cell and tissue types that make up the ducts, lobules and the nipple, which support lactation. The breast also contains fat cells, blood vessels, connective tissue and lymph nodes that support breast structure and function. Inflammation of the breast tissue can affect any of these tissue types, and lead to a swollen and painful breast. Breast inflammation may be a symptom of a serious underlying disease, which requires medical attention.
Lactational Mastitis
Lactational mastitis is a form of breast inflammation found in women who breastfeed. It is the most common form of breast infection and inflammation, according to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Lactational mastitis occurs because of a bacterial infection of the breast tissue, leading to tissue inflammation and possibly abscess. Lactational mastitis develops because breastfeeding puts stress on the skin of the nipple, leading to cracked skin. When the baby begins to breastfeed, the bacteria from the baby's mouth can enter the mother's breast through cracks in the skin and lead to breast infection.
Women with lactational breast mastitis will have a painful, red and inflamed breast. Lactational mastitis is treated with antibiotics to cure the infection, as well as painkillers to alleviate the symptoms of the inflammation. If left untreated, lactational mastitis can develop into an abscess, a serious disorder that requires further treatment.
Mammary Duct Ectasia
Mammary duct ectasia, also called periductal mastitis, is another inflammatory disease that stems from infection of breast tissue. Stanford School of Medicine reports that mammary duct ectasia is characterized by an inflammation of the breast ducts, the tubes that connect the lobules, which produce the milk, to the nipple. In mammary duct ectasia, the ducts begin to dilate and become blocked with protein, cholesterol, calcium deposits and bacteria. This leads to inflammation around the blocked duct, which causes breast inflammation and pain, as well as bloody discharge from the nipple. If left untreated, the inflammation can develop into an abscess. Physicians prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection along with painkillers to alleviate discomfort and pain.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Another inflammatory disease of the breast is inflammatory breast cancer, or IBC. IBC is a very aggressive form of breast cancer that accounts for two percent of breast cancer diagnoses and seven percent of breast cancer-related deaths, according to the University of Florida Shands Medical Center. IBC readily invades neighboring tissue and interferes with lymph functioning. Almost all cases of IBC have lymph node involvement and around 33 percent of IBC cases have metastasized to other parts of the body.
Physicians generally treat IBC with chemotherapy, which targets the cancer cells within the breast as well as throughout the body. Women with IBC may also undergo surgical removal of the breasts, as well as radiation therapy to target cancer cells. University of Florida Shands Medical Center reports that the five-year survival rate of IBC ranges between 25 and 50 percent.
