Erysipelas in breast cancer patients after the radical mastectomy

Erysipelas is a bacterial cellulitis usually associated with Streptococcal infection. It may appear as a complication following mastectomy and radiotherapy for breast cancer. The study involved 17 cases of erysipelas of the upper limbs with a median age of 62 years. Here we described the clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects of erysipelas. Our results indicated that the erysipelas appeared with an average of 9 years after mastectomy and was recurrent in three patients (17.64%). It is associated with obesity in 42% and arterial hypertension in 52.9% of patients with breast cancer after radical mastectomy. Breast cancer patients in advance stages of disease at presentation (T2+ T3) are significantly more subject to erysipelas in comparison to those patients with locoregional stage of disease at presentation (T1), Mann Whitney U-test, (p