A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Ultrasonography-Guided Needle Aspiration and Surgical Drainage for the...

Background A breast abscess is a localized collection of inflammatory exudate in breast tissue. It is more common in lactating women. Treatment of the breast abscess is usually by incision and drainage, which is accompanied by extensive trauma, lengthy surgical incisions, psychological distress, surgical scar, and discomfort during dressing changes. Recent research has shown that ultrasonography-guided needle aspiration is an alternative to incision and drainage for breast abscess treatment, has superior cosmetic outcomes, and has fewer costs. However, there are no clear guidelines for the same. The primary objective of this study was to assess and contrast the outcomes and efficacy of two approaches in the treatment of breast abscesses: ultrasonography-guided needle aspiration and conventional incision and drainage. Methods This was a single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial. Patients with breast abscesses were randomized either to receive needle aspiration or incision drainage. Patients with lactational breast abscesses were encouraged to breastfeed from either breast. The antibiotic was given for 10 days to all the patients. The study's main focus was on the primary outcome, which was the failure rate. Additionally, several secondary outcomes were examined, including postoperative pain, time required for healing, presence of residual abscess or recurrence, formation of fistulas, and the assessment of scar appearance. Results A total of 44 patients were randomized to 23 and 21 in each arm. There was no statistical difference in treatment failure (p-value=0.862), fistula formation (p-value=1.00), and recurrence (p-value=1.00). There was a significant statistical difference in healing period (p-value <0.001), scar formation (p-value <0.0001), continuation of breastfeeding (p-value=0.005), and clinical resolution (p-value=0.002). There was a significant reduction in post-intervention pain in the needle aspiration group than in the other group (p-value <0.001). Conclusion This study showed a significant difference in postoperative pain, healing time, the continuation of breastfeeding, and scar formation in the needle aspiration group, favouring minimally invasive treatment for breast abscess. However, due to the small sample size, we could not conclude that ultrasonography-guided needle aspiration of the breast abscess is non-inferior to the conventional incision and drainage.