In plain words
A phlegmon is an infection that spreads through soft tissue without a clear edge or pocket. In the breast, it can look like a hard, hot, red area that keeps growing, and it can make you feel very unwell. It sits on the spectrum of that runs from a to mastitis to an abscess. Fever, chills, and feeling sick all over are signs that the infection needs care. Waiting it out is not the usual course. These signs call for a same-day call to a provider, and an immediate visit for anyone who is very unwell. Breastfeeding or pumping often continues during treatment, and your provider can advise on that.
The deeper version
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine's revised Clinical Protocol #36 (2022) reframed lactational as a spectrum, running from through inflammatory mastitis and to phlegmon and abscess, with and as related states. Phlegmon is diffuse suppurative inflammation of breast tissue without a discrete collection, typically requiring prompt antibiotic treatment, and imaging such as ultrasound helps distinguish it from an abscess that may need drainage. Systemic signs such as fever, rigors, and malaise mark progression beyond simple mastitis. Breast milk removal is generally continued during treatment, and interruption is not recommended unless clinically indicated.
Where it comes up
- Clogged ducts and mastitisPostpartum: Your Body
- Keeping ducts clear: prevention habitsFeeding Your Baby
- Engorgement when milk comes inPostpartum: Your Body
- Signs of infection after birthPostpartum: Your Body
- Postpartum warning signs: the one-page listPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say about phlegmon
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Sources
- Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine — Clinical Protocol #36: The Mastitis Spectrum, Revised 2022