What are the causes of breast redness?
Breast redness is a very common complaint. This condition, which is often seen as a result of allergic reactions, may be caused by breast inflammation or may be a symptom of important diseases such as cancer. For this reason, when symptoms such as hardness, redness and swelling in the breast are noticed, a General Surgery specialist should be consulted without delay.
So, what disorders can breast redness be a symptom of?
1. Infection in the Breast (Mastitis)
Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that causes pain, swelling, increased temperature and redness. This condition, which is usually seen in breastfeeding women, can also occur in non-breastfeeding women. Symptoms of breast inflammation can be listed as fever, chills, weakness, nausea, breast swelling, pain, redness and increased temperature.
2. Abscess in the Breast
An abscess is usually caused by a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which is commonly found on normal skin. 20% of the causes of breast rash are abscesses. If there is a cyst in the breast and it is infected, it can become an abscess and cause symptoms such as pain, redness and increased temperature.
3. Inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer that occurs when malignant cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels in the breast skin. IBC differs from other forms of breast cancer because it does not usually form a mass or tumor tissue.
Although most breast cancers begin as a mass of hardness, inflammatory breast cancer manifests itself with a feeling of heaviness in the breast and redness and inflammation of the skin, without any lesions in the breast. The symptoms of this type of cancer are similar to a breast infection called mastitis. However, while mastitis responds to antibiotic treatment, inflammatory breast cancer symptoms do not regress with antibiotic treatment.
When the lymph vessels in the breast skin are blocked by cancer cells, symptoms such as redness, increased temperature, pain and swelling occur. In addition, other symptoms such as a painful lump in the breast, nipple discharge, orange peel appearance on the breast skin, swelling in the armpit lymph nodes, and flattening of the nipple are also observed.
4. Nipple eczema
It may cause redness in and around one or both nipples. Nipple eczema is usually common in the 5th to 6th month after birth. Burning and itching in the breast are common symptoms in lactating women during breastfeeding.
5. Paget’s disease of the breast
Paget’s disease of the breast is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the skin of the nipple and usually in the dark area around it, called the areola. Most women with Paget’s disease also have one or more tumoral lesions in the breast tissue in the same breast. The disease progresses with symptoms such as itching, tingling or redness of the nipple and/or areola skin, flaking, crusting or thickening, flattening of the nipple and discharge.
