The Mammotome biopsy system is an effective treatment strategy for breast abscess

BACKGROUND: Although most breast abscesses can be treated with the current first-line treatment of antibiotics by needle aspiration, the therapeutic duration is lengthy and recurrences often occur. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of the Mammotome biopsy system (Johnson & Johnson Corp., New Brunswick, NJ) in a cohort of patients with breast abscesses. METHODS: Forty lactating and 30 nonlactating breast abscess patients with unfavorable outcomes with antibiotic treatment and/or needle aspiration failure were recruited and treated with the Mammotome biopsy system. RESULTS: Skin inflammation of all patients disappeared within 6 days with no recurrence. The clinical outcomes in patients with an abscess size <= 3.5 cm was significantly better than those with an abscess size >3.5 cm (P = .025). CONCLUSIONS: The Mammotome biopsy system, an effective treatment strategy that is minimally invasive and less damaging, in combination with appropriate antibiotic therapy can be used safely as the first-line approach to breast abscess management. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.