How common are breast abscesses?
Breast abscesses can affect women who are between 18 and 50 years of age, but they are very uncommon in women who are not producing milk. When a woman is breastfeeding, an infection may occur as a result of bacteria entering the breast tissue, or because of a blocked milk duct. Milk ducts are the tiny tubes that carry the milk. This can cause a condition called mastitis (inflammation of the breast). If it is not treated, a breast infection can lead to the development of an abscess. Mastitis affects around 1 woman in 10 who are breastfeeding. One study found that, of the women with mastitis who were treated with antibiotic medicines, around 3 in 100 developed a breast abscess.
