Many believe that mastitis is a disease inherent in lactating women. In fact, this is an inflammatory process that can occur not only among the fair sex in the postpartum period. The formation of the disease is not affected by sex, but by infection. The causative agent of mastitis in children and adults are pathogenic microorganisms, the rapid spread of which is facilitated by weak immunity and poor hygiene.
About the disease
Inflammation of functionally active and interstitial breast tissue in medicine is called mastitis. The disease mainly occurs in women, especially those who gave birth for the first time. But it can also form before childbirth or not depend on this physiological process at all. Distinguish between postnatal and non-lactational. A special form is considered to be the babies of newborns - mastitis in infants, regardless of gender.
There is a disease due to infection of the mammary glands with pyogenic bacteria. In 82% of patients, when diagnosing the disease with the help of bacterial cultures, staphylococcus was isolated; in 3.4%, the causative agent is E. coli.
Mastitis is not always of an infectious origin. The cause may be fibrocystic changes. Such a disease is usually called mastopathy, but in the international classification of diseases, it, like mastitis, is classified as benign breast dysplasia.
Varieties of mastitis
The disease is chronic (quite rare) and acute. The latter are classified according to the clinical course:
- Serous or initial - occurs at 4-6 weeks in a nursing woman. It is characterized by overflow of blood vessels of the chest and the presence of serous exudate.
- Acute infiltrative - acute inflammation of the mammary gland with the formation of condensation in it (infiltrate).
- Abscessing - the main difference of this form is purulent inflammation of the tissues of the gland.
- Phlegmonous is characterized by a general increase and severe swelling of the chest.
- Gangrenous is distinguished by the appearance on the surface of the skin of the chest of dead tissue filled with a sacrum.
- Purulent - an infectious disease of the mammary glands with purulent exudate.
Mastitis in children is isolated in a separate form, since its occurrence is equally influenced by physiological age-related characteristics. In infancy and puberty, a seal appears on the chest under the areola. During this process, the glands are more vulnerable and susceptible to infection.
Mastitis in children
Immediately after birth, the baby’s body encounters a large number of microbes. The immune system is not adapted (especially in premature infants) and even mild infectious inflammation quickly develops into a pathological process.
Mastitis in children under one year old is not common. But the disease exists and poses a serious threat to the baby. Mastitis in childhood has various causes of origin. In newborns (mainly in the first 2 weeks), most often a disease of infectious genesis. Inflammation of the mammary glands occurs in both girls and boys. In this age period, pathology is especially dangerous, because due to the anatomical features, the spread of infection and the formation of sepsis are possible.
Mastitis of hormonal origin is associated with physiological coarsening of the mammary glands. Fine-grained formations appear in their tissues; in some cases, serous discharge from the nipple appears. Some parents, not finding out the causes of the disease, begin to self-medicate, which worsens the condition of the child and is dangerous to his health.
Factors influencing the occurrence of the disease
The children's body is constantly evolving, the immune system is only being formed. The occurrence of the disease is usually influenced by several circumstances at once.
Infectious mastitis in a child under 1 year of age is formed due to infection of the tissues of the thoracic wall. The causative agent is most often staphylococcus. Its distribution is affected by:
- Inadequate care for the newborn.
- Untimely elimination of diaper rash.
- The presence of scratches and microcracks on the skin in the chest area, which are not subjected to regular treatment with antiseptic agents.
- Non-observance by the mother of basic hygiene rules (poorly washed hands).
Compaction of the mammary glands appears 1-2 weeks after birth. The process does not belong to the pathological if it does not have associated negative symptoms (inflammation in the chest, fever).
The main reasons for the development of mastitis in children, girls, in particular, in adolescence are blood-lymph drainage during puberty. As in infants, in children in puberty, swelling of the glands is considered a normal physiological process, which goes without consequences through a short period of time. The occurrence of clinical manifestations may indicate the presence of violations in the work of any organ or the entire system:
- Hormonal dysfunctions.
- Increased thyroid activity.
- Pathology of the hypothalamus.
- Violation of the abdominal organs.
In some cases, the cause of fibrocystic changes in the mammary glands is a hereditary predisposition.
How does the symptomatology develop
In infectious mastitis in infants and older children, the development of the signs characteristic of the inflammatory process is characteristic:
- Seals are felt (usually only on one side) in the area of the areola and nipple.
- Breast swelling.
- Redness at the site of the inflammatory process, later the color becomes purple.
- There are discharge with pressure.
- Pain
- A significant increase in temperature.
With an increase in hyperthermia, the general condition of a small patient worsens:
- Infants are constantly acting up, crying.
- There is a decrease in appetite.
- Disorders of the digestive tract (diarrhea).
- Due to pain and high temperature, the child cannot sleep normally, and therefore a breakdown is observed.
Diagnostics
At the first symptoms, you need to visit a pediatrician. It is usually not difficult to diagnose mastitis in an infant. The basis of the diagnosis is examination, palpation, auscultation and interrogation of parents. During a physical examination, the doctor notes a seal or signs of effusion, pus, fever at the site of inflammation or general. Also, methods and means of assessing the pathological process include a general blood test and bacteriological culture of exudate.
In parallel, differential diagnosis of mastopathy is performed. As a rule, in infants for the study of fibrocystic changes, they are limited to the use of ultrasound scanning of the mammary glands. In older children, the use of diaphanoscopy is possible. Using this method, the presence of a nodal seal is determined.
Therapy
Treatment of mastitis in children is prescribed depending on the genesis and form of the disease. In the initial stages, conservative treatment is carried out:
- UHF-therapy - exposure to a high-frequency electromagnetic field has an anti-inflammatory, reparative effect.
- UV-therapy has a general strengthening, immunostimulating effect.
- The course of antibiotics is prescribed depending on the pathogen, age and course of the disease.
Surgical intervention is used for purulent, phlegmonous and gangrenous forms of mastitis. The task of the operation is the removal of pus, dead tissue and the creation of conditions for healing.
Forecast and Prevention
The prognosis of breast mastitis in a child is 99% favorable. Complications arise quite infrequently and then because of the late visit to the doctor. The basis of prevention is compliance with hygiene rules and constant examinations of the body of a boy or girl. It is also necessary to carry out activities aimed at enhancing the immune system. Timely recognition of mastitis in children will help to avoid severe forms of the disease, and simple preventive measures - its appearance.