Hi, I am a 48 yr old female with almost 20 yrs of "breast issues", bloody discharge, benign lump removed, BX for Fibrocystic breast tissue, cysts, etc. (A problem at LEAST once a year.) I did have mastitis once when pregnant about 11 yrs ago. Early in the week, I awoke with a very warm, very tender breast that had an area about 3 X 2 of redness around the bottom side half of my areola. Also, I noted a large hardness in my breast on the arm side, like I had a water balloon inside of it. Strange, I know. The nipple area itches terribly (the itchiness has been going on for a few months). In this area is tissue that seems like an extension of aerola and is a little thicker that the surrounding skin, but not discolored. I called my OB/GYN. (I did not mention the differnce in skin texture to the nurse, as I didn't even notice it at this point.) The nurse said sounded like an infection, gave my antibiotics. I have been on them for about 6 days. The redness faded, but the unrelenting itch remains, as does the thicker skin. This morning I noticed that the redness is a faded pink, like it is trying to "come back". Sorry for the novella! My questions is, will antibiotics reduce tenderness and redness but still may be IBC? Thank you so much...I'm sorry to be a bother!
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No bother at all! That's why we are here, and the more information you provide, the more likely we are to give you an accurate answer.
If the nurse prescribed antibiotics over the phone, you definitely need to be seen. Officially, if an antibiotic clears up mastitis/IBC symptoms, then the problem is not inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). However, I do know some women eventually diagnosed with IBC who had a partial response to antibiotics initially. I don't know why that would occur because antibiotics do not clear up cancer. My guess is that when cancer is blocking the lymph vessels the way IBC does, a secondary infection may develop.
I would suggest going in to see the surgeon who did your earlier biopsies and have a thorough examination done including a mammogram and ultrasound. Although IBC doesn't usually have a lump that is easily identifiable on mammograms, at least two studies found that the majority of IBC patients did have subtle differences in density, symmetry, and skin thickness on their mammograms.
If your symptoms have not completely subsided by the end of the course of antibiotics, current guidelines call for a biopsy to rule out IBC. I hope you continue to get better, and that this does turn out to be an infection. Certainly the fact that the antibiotics have helped suggest that an infection is the problem. Please be very proactive with your doctors until you know for sure.
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