This review of 299 cases of breast
abscesses seen over a 10-year period (1981-1990) at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital in Nigeria seeks to establish the current status of breast
abscesses in the tropics. Lactational breast
abscess constitutes 95% of breast
abscesses while non-lactational breast
abscess constitutes only 5% in this review. The commonest pathogen cultured from lactational breast
abscess is Staphylococcus aureus and the disease responds to incision and drainage and systemic
antibiotics, while non-lactational breast
abscess is caused mostly by anaerobic organisms, usually with underlying mammary duct
ectasia. The low incidence of non-lactational breast
abscess corresponds to the low incidence of cigarette smoking and mammary duct
ectasia in Nigerian women. While the high incidence of lactational breast
abscess corresponds to the high rate of breast feeding and low level of personal hygiene in the low income group Nigerian women in which the disease is commonest. Economic recession has also reduced patronage of artificial feeds thus intensifying breast feeding and consequent lactational breast
abscess.