Pathology and Clinical Features of Mastitis
c) Non-infectious mastitis:
- Non-infectious mastitis is an inflammatory response following milk stasis.
- Interleukin - 8 inflammatory cytokine levels are increased during mastitis.
- Part of the breast is painful, red, swollen, and hard and usually only one breast is affected.
- The taste of the breast milk becomes more salty, which is due to:
- Increase in sodium and chloride levels
- Decrease in lactose and potassium
- The woman often has a fever and feels ill.
- Sub-clinical Mastitis is an inflammatory condition with increase in Interleukin-8, sodium and potassium levels in milk with out clinical signs of mastitis.
