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Review
. 2025 Sep 1;25(1):419.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-025-03915-9.

A case report of breast abscess caused by Peptoniphilus harei after endoscopic breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer and literature review

Siqi He  1 , Zheng Wang  1 , Xiaoling Liu  1 , Wei Wei  1 , Guangxin Li  2
Affiliations
Review

A case report of breast abscess caused by Peptoniphilus harei after endoscopic breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer and literature review

Siqi He et al. BMC Womens Health. .

Abstract

Background: Breast abscess is a common infectious disease of the breast, but breast abscess caused solely by Peptoniphilus harei is extremely rare. Endoscopic breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer is an emerging breast surgical technique that is considered a clean procedure with a low postoperative infection rate.

Case presentation: We report a case of a patient who underwent endoscopic breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer and developed a breast abscess in the surgical area after radiotherapy. Bacterial culture and identification confirmed that the abscess was caused by Peptoniphilus harei infection. After treatment with antibiotics targeting Peptoniphilus harei and active wound debridement, the patient achieved complete recovery.

Conclusions: This is the first reported case of breast abscess caused solely by Peptoniphilus harei after endoscopic breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer. Early identification of the pathogen and targeted treatment are essential for successful management.

Keywords: Peptoniphilus harei; Breast abscess; Breast cancer; Endoscopic breast-conserving surgery; Radiotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: N/A. Consent for publication: Consent for publication was obtained for individual in this case series. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Ultrasound evaluation of the breast following detection of an abnormal finding
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Hospitalization status
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
First wound debridement
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Fig. 4
Wound condition after anti-infection treatment
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
After wound debridement and suturing
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Fig. 6
After 1 month post-surgery
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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