Table 1.
Reported delayed breast cellulitis (DBC) in the literature: incidence, timing, and treatment
| Author [ref.] | Patients, n (%) | Mean age, years | Time from surgery/RT | Treatment of DBC, n |
DBC follow-up | Late follow-ups | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| observation | AB | anti-inflammatories | ||||||
| Zippelet al. [3] | 16/468 (3.4) | 63 | median 10 (range 4–15) m after surgery; 7 p: 2 m or later post RT | 13/16 | 3/16 | 0 | resolved in 16/16 p mean time 7.5 m | none had recurrent malignancy 1 p had mastectomy because of diffuse fibrotic reaction |
| Starenet al. [2] | 10/184 (5) | 57 | 3 m or later after lumpectomy or 6 m after RT | 3/10 | 5/10 | 2/10 | resolved in 5 p n = 4 within 2 w n = 1 within 2 m treatment | 1 p with persistence of symptoms developed recurrent malignancy |
| • 3: AB • 1: anti-inflammatories persisted in 5 p (for 4 m to over 1 y) treatment • 3: observation • 1: AB • 1: anti-inflammatories | ||||||||
| Miller et al. [1] | 8/181 (4.4) | 62 | 2–16 m post RT | 0 | 8/8 – 6/8 oral AB • 4/6: 1 course of AB • 2/6: 2–3 courses of AB – 2/8 required hospital admission for IV AB | 0 | resolved in 8/8 p | no cases of recurrent malignancy |
| Rescigno et al. [6] | 11/181 (6) | NA | 4.5 m post RT | 0 | 11/11 | 0 | resolved in 5/11 p • 2/5 oral AB • 3/5 IV AB recurrence in 2 p • oral and IV AB persistent in 4 p • oral treatment | no cases of recurrent malignancy |
| Indelicato et al. [4] | 50/601 (8) | 57 | 7.42 m post surgery | 3/50 | 46/50 (20% IV) | 2/50 | resolved in 39/50 p (78%) persistent in 11/50 p (22%) | 1 p had a recurrent malignancy 2 p had mastectomy because of pain |
RT = Radiotherapy; p = patient(s); AB = antibiotics; NA = not applicable; IV = intravenous; m = months; y = years; w = weeks.