Title:Surgical Treatment of Neonatal Mastitis by Periareolar Drainage
VOLUME: 10 ISSUE: 4
Author(s):Jan-Philipp Stromps, Hong-Sik Na, Gerrit Grieb, Thorsten Orlikowsky, Christiane Kuhl and Norbert Pallua
Affiliation:University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.
Keywords:Breast abscess, breast growth, breast development injuries, breast scarring, periareolar drainage.
Abstract:Purpose: Neonatal mastitis is a rare but challenging problem that commonly appears within the
first 8 weeks after birth. Abscess formation in an infant’s breast can lead to acute complications and longterm
dysfunction. To our knowledge, no publication focuses on surgical techniques and postoperative care
to avoid breast scarring in neonates. We herein present our surgical approach by periareolar drainage to
avoid this long term complications.
Methods: After reviewing the medical database of our hospital from 2002 to 2012, 11 cases (6 females and
5 males; 10 unilateral and 1 bilateral) of neonatal mastitis were found. Four cases required surgery, performed by periareolar
drainage (n = 4, 4:11). Our data were compared with data obtained from a literature review using Medline and Cochrane
databases.
Results: In all our patients that underwent surgery, clinical symptoms were reduced directly after surgery. Our results
were comparable with those reported in the literature, which included 163 patients (105 [64.42%] required surgery) from
seven publications. Regarding our surgical technique, we have not observed any long-term complications during follow
up examinations (range 12–116 months postoperative; mean, 77.36 months), which have been reported in the literature.
Conclusions: Even if the acute infection can be cured by parenteral antibiotics and surgical incision if necessary, the longterm
problems of scarring after mastitis, especially from surgical incisions at the site of maximum swelling, can lead to
severe functional and aesthetic problems. To avoid such scarring, we herein present our surgical approach to mastitis by
periareolar drainage.
