Breast Abscess as the Sole Presentation of Salmonella Typhi Infection: Case Report

Abstract

A breast abscess is a common clinical entity most commonly caused by gram-positive cocci in the lactating breast. Here we present a bilateral breast abscess due to Salmonella Typhi in a young non-lactating female. The patient presented with on and off fever and a painful lump with discharge in the left breast, followed by similar complaints in the right breast after a few days. Incision and drainage were done, and the sample was sent for microbiological analysis. Salmonella Typhi was isolated. The patient had high titers of the Widal test though her blood culture was negative. The infection was successfully treated with a combination of surgical drainage and antibiotics. This case highlights that a systemic Salmonella infection need not always present with the typical symptoms and can solely present in a focal manner (breast abscess) and highlights the importance of microbiological analysis for accurate diagnosis and proper management. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2022; 12(4):163-166.