A few months ago I woke up with inflammation, redness and pain in my right breat. My doctor said it was either mastitis or ibc and prescribed me antibiotics. (I am 49 years old and not breastfeeding). My inflammation reponded within a few days with the prescribed antibiotics. To be safe my doctor did a mammogram and ultrasound, which showed a lump or mass in my right breast. A MRI showed further that a biopsy was needed. The doctor did an ultrasound guided vaccum assisted tissue biopsy. The biopsy results showed that I had fibro.... not cancer. My question is do you think that the doctors did everything necessary to rule out Ibc or should I still be concerned. I have not had any more inflammation or pain and its been almost three months.
- Resources
Q: If breast inflammation goes away after a few days of antibiotics could it still be ibc
Dannie, I'll hope Phyllis chimes in here, as she's the IBC expert. But I'd assume that if the redness/swelling went away with antibiotics, and it's stayed away for 3 months, you have nothing to worry about. Glad that's the case! - PJH
Dannie, I agree with PJ. A complete response to the antibiotic and no further inflammation plus your biopsy should rule out IBC. Every now and then I have heard from women who had a partial and very short-lived response to antibiotics who were eventually diagnosed with IBC. But after three months, I think you should be reassured that what you had was indeed mastitis.
I recently (March 2010) went to a breast specialist because my right nipple is slighty inverted and the nipple ducts are swollen and blocked. The breast is tender,ithcy and warm. Im not breast feeding. The specialist did a mammagram and ultrasound and all was well. He thinks I have Breast Inflammation and should not worry. I worry about IBC How do I get him to see my fear about ibc, as he has his mind made up already.
Just wondering if breast pain can be the only symptom of IBC? I had an ultrasound to rule it out, but my breast pain has been going on for a few months, and now affects my left arm/armpit and makes my hand numb and tingly.
I have NO redness, dimpling, etc. But, the pain is there, and it occassionally itches. Is it possible to still ask for a biopsy to rule it out?
Since this is on the left side, you might want to consider a cardiac issue. Heart problems can sometimes manifest themselves as pain/tingling/numbness that travels down the arm to the hand. I believe that IBC would rather quickly become indentifiable - with its hallmark "orange peel" skin, redness, swelling, and pain. I don't believe breast pain with a bit of itching that goes on for several months, without becoming a lot worse, would be IBC. But - we're not doctors here, and can't diagnose. If you feel you need a biopsy for peace of mind, ask your doctor about the possibility, OK? Take care- PJH
Breast pain was my first symptom of IBC, but it didn't stay my only symptom for long. Within a month, my breast was puffy and pink. Within six weeks I had developed the orange peel dimpling so typical of IBC. The discoloration went from pink to dark red/purple overnight. There is a wide variation in how people present with IBC. I would never tell someone that her symptoms could not be IBC.
However, IBC symptoms usually get worse very quickly. My six-week progression was unusually slow. Although a biopsy might rule out IBC, it would create scar tissue that would possibly increase your pain. I personally would be reluctant to have a biopsy with symptoms that are so different from typical IBC. Perhaps a fine needle biopsy could sample both skin and breast tissue in several spots, but without the visible symptoms that characterize IBC, the doctor might have trouble finding the right places to biopsy. A negative biopsy still would not be proof that you didn't have IBC because you would not know for sure if the biopsy hit the right spots.
You definitely need to follow-up on why your left arm is numb and tingly. That could be a nerve related problem. As PJ mentions, problems in the left chest and arm can also be cardiac related. I believe you told me earlier that you have been checked for cardiac problems, but stay in touch with your doctor if your symptoms get worse.
Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of The HealthCentral Network. The HealthCentral Network does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Mal, the next important step is to find out the cause of the inflammation. If your doctor has an adequate explanation for why your breast is inflamed and a plan for making it better, then you should try that plan and hope that it works. As you are describing the situation at the moment, it sounds as if your doctor is saying just live with inflammation. I would not find that acceptable and would either go back to the doctor and ask for more information or look for a new doctor. Often mammograms of women with inflammatory breast cancer do show changes in symmetry, skin thickness, and breast density from previous images, so if you have previous mammograms make sure a comparison was done. Because you do not currently have the most typical IBC symptoms, which are redness, skin dimpling, and swelling throughout the breast, the doctor is probably not ready to go to the next diagnostic step for IBC, which would be a biopsy that includes the skin of the breast. If you don't see improvement, I would suggest nagging the doctor until you are satisfied that you have been properly diagnosed.