Male breast abscess: A rare entity

Breast abscess in males is a rare condition, which accounts for 1%-3% of all documented breast diseases. Males with certain risk factors may develop a breast abscess. The ultrasonographic, mammographic, and pathological characteristics of this case will be highlighted in the report. A 51-year-old morbidly obese Saudi male who is a 160-pack-years smoker presented to our surgical clinic complaining of a right breast mass that presented a long time ago and was changing in size. The mass was painless until 5 days prior to presentation. On physical examination, a firm nonmobile 3 × 4 cm mass was felt at 10-12-o'clock, 1 cm away from the nipple. A bilateral X-ray mammogram and ultrasound were performed with fine needle aspiration and culture. The mammogram of the right breast showed a well-circumscribed subareolar mass with equal density, and it was also associated with overlying skin thickening and relative breast parenchymal edema. The fine needle aspiration grossly showed yellowish-green turbid content followed by turbid blood. The anaerobic culture results showed the gram-positive cocci, Finegoldia Magna. The patient was then instructed to take an antibiotic accordingly and return after 1 week. Fine needle aspiration and culture were performed again after antibiotics and grossly showed 2-3 cc of pus without any growth in culture. Male breast disorders are typically benign, with gynecomastia being the most prevalent, and malignancy being the most serious despite its rarity. Breast abscesses are a challenging clinical condition, and radiologists have a pivotal role in evaluation and follow-up of these lesions.