I just made up a password to get onto medscape (there is a "form" to be
filled out before you can get on medscape.)

BTW, I found an article on medscape that I really wanted to see the abstract
for, but I could only just get the ref.  If anyone has a hard copy, or a
copy of the abstract I'd really appreciate it.  If you'll respond privately,
I'll give you my fax, or perhaps you can summarize the abstract.

Article is: Inch,S and Fisher, C. Mastitis:  infection or inflammation?
Practicioner, 1995; 239(1553):472-6.

Practicioner is a British journal.

BTW, while looking at the human mastitis refs. I saw an article about bovine
mastitis which indicates that visible changes in milk (e.g. "clotting") are
used to determine presence of disease in cows. Milner,P et al. Detection of
clinical mastitis by changes in electrical conductivity of foremilk before
visible changes in milk. J Dairy Science 1996, 79(1):83-6.

There was a thread some weeks back where LCs reported observing clumps or
clots in milk of women with mastitis.  Seems this is common in cattle and a
way of identifying mastitis.  I've only read the abstract, so don't know
whether the article discusses the composition of the clots.  Is it related
to increased lipolysis?  (Heat increases lipolysis in milk stored at
too-high temps according to Hamosh et al in recent Pediatrics article.)
Does the increased temp. of the mastitic breast (fever) create increased
lipolysis which  creates clumping of these fat cells, or is it debris of
cells trying to engulf bacteria in the milk?  Inquiring minds want to know....
Barbara

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Owner, Lactnews On-Line Conference Page
http://moontower.com/bwc/lactnews.html