title: Breast abscess following nipple piercing: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nipple piercing gains popularity and social acceptance within the last years, especially among young people. The medical literature reports an increase of complications in the post-piercing period.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of a young woman, who presented with a light enlargement of the right breast and tenderness in the retroareolar region following nipple piercing 5 months ago. On ultrasound, a poorly marginated hypoechoic lesion was seen which was suspicious of an inflammation. After 1 week of antibiotic therapy, the mass had enlarged. As carcinoma could not be excluded, open biopsy was performed. Histology showed signs of chronic mastitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To date, only a few reports of breast abscess after nipple piercing have been published. With the increasing prevalence of body piercing, it is important to document and report infections which may be discovered many months following piercing. Carcinoma can mimic breast abscess and should be included in the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Luebeck, Germany. Smaragda.Kapsimalakou@uk-sh.de
authors.forename: Smaragda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kapsimalakou
authors.forename: Isabell
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grande-Nagel
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thill
authors.forename: Beate M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Stöckelhuber
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D046288:Body Piercing / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult