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Breast infection possible cellulitis
Had my first mammogram two weeks ago, mass found in left breast, biopsy done last week (benign fibroadenoma). Over the weekend biopsy site got red and the redness spread to 1/3 of breast. Went to ER yesterday and was diagnosed with cellulitis and started on antibiotics. No fever, slight discomfort and swelling in breast-looks ugly with redness and bruising. Mayo breast clinic appt not until end of July. Worried about infection and possible spreading to deeper tissue or becoming sepsis. Anyone have similar experience?
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@jane88c Cellulitis is a serious infection and so it's good that you got yourself on antibiotics so quickly. I can understand your worry about deep tissue and sepsis.
Also it's very good news that the. mass was benign.
Have you followed up with your primary care provider? If the redness is starting to go away then I'd expect that the antibiotics are working but if you were my sister I'd pester you about following up with your doctor and make sure the cellulitis is going away.
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2 ReactionsThank you so much for the reply! I have been assessing the area every few hours and it’s very hard for me to tell which direction it’s heading either way. My biopsy site is on the front of my breast and for me to look down at it I can’t see hardly anything. I do *think* it might be less red but it’s no where near gone. I am hopefully going to be seen my breast surgeon locally where I live this week but my pcp who I saw yesterday after my ER visit this weekend shrugged and told me she didn’t know what it was. Very hard to get opinions from general pcp doctors who aren’t well versed in post op complications or infections
@jane88c First I’d like to say that your PCP who shrugged and said she didn’t know what it was must have missed that lecture or clinical experience. My impression (and my husband who is a retired physician will back this up) says that cellulitis is very serious and potentially life-threatening. Another symptom that surgeon told me is that in addition to the redness the skin will feel warm to the touch. I got pretty bashed up after I fell off my bike and I happened to be in a class with a physician (who is a friend). She took one look at the wound, felt it (warm to the touch) and told me to go immediately to urgent care. Anyway, this could surely occur after a biopsy given the procedure that punctures the skin and I would think most PCPs would be very well versed in infections.
It’s good that you’re going back to the breast surgeon this week. You can show them the area on your breast and get their impression. When is your appointment with the breast surgeon?
End of august I had cellulitis in the breast. The symptoms were much the same as “Inflammatory Breast Cancer” which is a tare aggressive breast cancer in the skin. Not necessarily any lumps. After being treated with 2 antibiotics for 10 days cb it appeared to be gone.
Now in November it is back. Breast all sunburned looking red, warm, swollen, very sensitive to touch, uncomfortable, and “orange peal looking skin”
Doctor drew with a skin marker the outlinebb bb of area it covered. Essentially covers the entire breast 2nd time. I will be going into ER in the morning if it has not reduced in size. I had multiple mammograms, ultrasounds, an MRI, biopsy, and it showed the skin had thickened which is symptom of the cancer too. Doctor found it strange it would come back. Punch Biopsy was benign. Like 7 years ago I tested positive for scleroderma (CREST Syndrome). but didn’t get the diagnose because not enough outward signs. I believe I have more simians now
If others have had cellulitis of the breast I’d love to hear what you found out…. Thank you.