> I see women all the time who have inexplicable breast and nipple pain, who
>have treated for weeks for  suspected candidal infection with minimal
>response.  I suspect in many of these cases that a sub-clinical infection
of
>the breast is occuring, and it is very difficult to get anyone to take this
>seriously or to treat it.
>

The term "subclinical mastitis" is being used by researchers measuring
sodium levels in milk. High levels of sodium have been found in mastitis, so
the researchers have said women have "subclinical mastitis" when the milk
sodium levels are high. The significance is that when the cell junctions are
"leaky" extra sodium gets into the milk, and also the HIV seems more likely
to enter the milk.
I don't think we know if high levels of bacteria have been found in
association with the high sodium levels.
"Subclinical" usually refers to a condition which doesn't have any clinical
manifestations, ie  the person doesn't have any signs or symptoms.
So, my feeling is that if a woman has breast pain the problem is not
"subclinical".
I think what Barbara is trying to say, is that maybe the problem is not
always a fungal infection, it may be a bacterial infection.
Perhaps, "low-grade infection" is a better term?
Lisa Amir
MBBS, MMed, IBCLC in Melbourne, Australia

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