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Case Reports
. 2025 Sep:95:288.e3-288.e4.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2025.05.016. Epub 2025 May 12.

Herpes simplex virus mastitis of a non-lactating adolescent woman in the pediatric emergency department: A case report

Anne Sung  1 , Kaitlin Rose  2 , Dhriti Sooryakumar  3 , Nicole Klekowski  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Herpes simplex virus mastitis of a non-lactating adolescent woman in the pediatric emergency department: A case report

Anne Sung et al. Am J Emerg Med. 2025 Sep.

Abstract

An 18-year-old woman presented to the pediatric Emergency Department with right breast pain and swelling after consensual oral manipulation of the right breast. After multiple failed antibiotic treatments for mastitis, she re-presented with worsening pain and newly formed vesicles. She was found to have herpes simplex virus mastitis. We highlight this uncommon diagnosis and the importance of maintaining high clinical suspicion of herpes simplex virus with cases of mastitis to ensure appropriate and timely treatment in the Emergency Department.

Keywords: Breast infection; HSV; Herpes simplex virus; Mastitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest None.

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