Experience in treating breast pathology in outpatient practice
Authors: Myasnyankin M. Yu. , Anisimov V. V. 
Published: June 2020

Introduction. According to epidemiological researches, such mammary gland disease as fibrocystic breast disease takes the leading place in the structure of pre-tumor diseases in women. Pathological cell proliferation is the common starting point for pathogenesis of both mastopathy and breast cancer. Patients with fibrocystic breast disease complain of pain unrelated to the menstrual cycle in the area of the mammary glands, swelling of breast tissue, nipple discharge. An important problem is the effective treatment of mastitis and lactostasis, during and after which the possibility of breastfeeding was maintained. Mastitis is a formidable complication of the postpartum period and the cause of lactation failure. For a long time, all patients with infectious mastitis underwent surgical treatment of the area of infection with subsequent drainage. As a rule, with the prescription of broad spectrum antibiotic drugs. Often, against the background of such stress for the body the ability to breastfeed dies down. Timely diagnosis and adequate treatment of mastitis and lactostasis help to preserve breastfeeding and improve the health of mother and child. Treatment of mastitis and lactostasis, fibrocystic breast disease is a complex problem of modern mammology.

Aim. This paper presents a pathogenetic approach to the treatment of fibrocystic breast disease from the point of view of evidence-based medicine using micronized progesterone. In order to avoid surgical interventions on the mammary glands and to preserve the maximum possible period of breastfeeding, we studied and proposed the method of mini-invasive and evidence-based approach to the treatment and prophylaxis of mastitis and lactostasis using a drug containing the strain L. Fermentum CECT5716.

Materials and methods. 13 patients with mastitis symptoms were included in the study. The main complaint of all patients who applied was lactostasis (100%). According to breast ultrasound, most patients were diagnosed with infiltrative mastitis – 8 (61.5%), serous mastitis – 4 (30.7%). Only one patient was diagnosed with purulent mastitis (7.7%). After prescription of treatment for mastitis and lactostasis after 21 days of clinical and radiological mammary gland image in 10 cases (77%) without pathology, duct ectasia was found in three women, which is the physiological norm in breastfeeding. All breastfeeding women have recovered normal lactation without symptoms of lactostasis. Almost all patients according to pain VAS noted not exceeding 1 point (mean was 1 ± 0.7). In most cases, the punctate cytogram corresponded to acute inflammation and purulent inflammation, 7 (53.9%) and 6 (46.1%). Results of a bacteriological study: Staphylococcus aureus – 11 (84.6%). Three patients had mixed microflora, Staphylococcus aureus/Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus/Staphylococcus saprophyticus, 2 (15.3%) and 1 (7.7%), respectively. One patient was diagnosed with Enterococcus faecalis. These data affected the choice of therapy. All patients were prescribed therapy with a drug containing the strain of L. Fermentum CECT5716 one capsule per day for 28 days, with subsequent assessment of the therapeutic effect on the 10th, 21st days.

Results. After treatment on the 10th day of control examination all the patients had galactorrhea cytogram without morphological signs of inflammation. According to the data of the bacteriological study of cultures, complete elimination of pathogenic microflora was revealed in most cases – 8 (61,5%), in 5 patients there were titers of less than 104 CFU/ml, which was the norm indicator. Clinical examples of treatment are given.

Conclusions. Our experience in treating such patients with a drug containing the strain L. Fermentum CECT5716 can successfully replace the standard of medical care for the treatment of mastitis and lactostasis. However, a combination with antibiotic therapy can be used for high bacterial load and mixed microflora. In all cases (100%) on the 10th day after the start of therapy all symptoms and clinical and radiological signs of lactostasis and mastitis were cured.