Staphylococcus aureus in breast abscess-major culprit besides others

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE:Breast abscess is a significant cause of morbidity especially in young women of childbearing age. These abscesses are associated with physical, psychological disturbance, and long-term cosmetic consequences.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This was a prospective study that involved seventy cases of breast abscesses to identify etiological agents and their susceptibility patterns.RESULTS:Lactation was a risk factor in almost two-third of all cases. Others were diabetes mellitus, extremes of age, immunocompromised conditions, and tuberculosis. The most common bacterial isolate was Staphylococcus aureus (83.3%), almost half being methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Others included coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Candida spp., and acid-fast bacilli.CONCLUSIONS:The treatment of all such microorganisms is different, signifying that microbial diagnosis plays a pivotal role in management of such abscesses.