Hi Ella

I thought I would share my experience of breast abscess. Mine develops under the nipple. The pain is unbelievable untill it drains. Makes you feel quite ill too. When it first happened I was sent to the breast clinic. The consultant wasnt sure from the mammogram and repeated it 3 times. She concluded that there was no malignancy. Apparently it is quite rare in post menopausal women to get a breast abscess and usually heralds a malignancy. Ive since had it happen again and live in dread of further episodes. She did say it is more likely to crop up in women that smoke or have smoked.

As far as time for biopsies they will be growing cultures etc this can take quite a long process. In the end they really dont know what causes these to form in some women.

Hopefully your mum will get some answers soon and recover well.xx

Hi thanks for replying and sharing your experience, the thing is with my mums it wudnt drain with a needle so they had to operate and they didnt tell her they were taking anymore biopsies but have obviously seen something while operating, shes a mess with nerves at the moment and hate seeing her like this also she still has a lot of the same pains before she had op xx

Also i know you should never google but trying to search for a post menopause breast abcess is just the devil there is nothing!!! Without it been cancer if course x 

Hi Ella.

I dont think drs have explained things well to you and mum. The body reacts to a bacterial attack by sending the white blood cells into the area the white cells break down as they do their job and become a cheesey discharge. The body pockets off this area so becomes an abscess. If it doesnt discharge either through a rupture in the skin,or nipple in my case, the cheesey pus becomes solidified more like cheddar and cannot be aspirated by needle so needs to be surgery to remove. It really does smell like the worst cheese ever!

The surgeon wouldnt be doing their job if they didnt biopsy the area as a precaution due to its similarity in appearance to the rare inflamatory breast cancer so I think the biopsies may have been routine.

I agree there is very little out there on the web. I found a medical paper written by drs in Dubai it concluded that this rare entity in post meno women was attributed to smoking. So my Dr was singing from that hymn sheet in my opinion.

I did find a thread that was discussing breast abscess and one woman had surgery twice she ended up very disfigured with half a mastectomy by the time they were finished. She was very upset and stated that she wished she had never taken the surgery.

How did I handle it well my ethos was and is still, its not cancer till they tell you its cancer.

I can understand why your mum is so upset,it is so horrible and painful and very quickly gets you down.

She is lucky to have her families love and concern. Just keep reasuring her that they will get this sorted.xx

Yes thats the word they used with my mum they cudnt get any more out and it solidified she hasnt smoke for over 8 years tho, i think, after her op she went to a check up a week later at the breast clinic and they said rite we will see u back in 6 weeks so my mum felt anazing until he said we havnt got your biopsy tesults back as yet they will come in the post.... but the surgen did have a letter that said biopsy results not ready yet n she still hasnt heard anything... do u think shes looking too much into it? Xx

p.s how ald are you my mums is 56.. also thanks for taking the time to reply u have made me feel ever so slightly more relaxed x

Hi Ella,

I really feel that if the Dr is giving her a 6 week appt is in itself a positive sign which is good and she should zone in on that and try to be a bit calmer in herself for her own sake. Cancer biopsies are generally fairly quick turnaround but bacterial cultures take longer they do a whole host of tests in the labs to try and identify a source.

Has she spoken with her GP? maybe they could give her some reassurance.

Apparently smoking past or present causes changes to breast tissues. So Im told!

I was 59 when I had my first abscess I have just turned the ripe old age of 63 two weeks ago. I had an early menopause at 42 following removal of ovarian cysts. My last abscess was in july last year.

Glad to share anytime.xx

Would they not have already done a bacteria teat with the stuff they got out with the needle? Also i am thinking the same with the 6 week app but is that just to check how its healing?  And they will ring her before then?  There are just so many questions with how long its gone on and she still isnt pain free xx

Hi Ella

I would have thought they would have done tests assuming they got enough out for a sample. But any test the surgeon requests at the time of surgery would have to be repeated whether previously done or not. Especially as its seems to have been antibiotic resistant.

I never had a sample tested, dr just drained what was there and binned it before doing the mamogram.

Its only around two weeks since she had surgery I would think its not unusual to have pain or discomfort,but if you think that another infection might be cooking dont leave it too long to see GP. xx

Hi Ella

Yes the breast becomes hard, swollen, very angry red and  hot to touch. The nipple itself becomes huge,at this point the pain is unbearable. It only take a few days from onset to get to this stage. xx

PS If she is still having it packed that may explain some of the pain and discomfort.