Seroma prevention by using Corynebacterium parvum in a rat mastectomy model

Seroma formation is the most common complication after mastectomy and conti nues to be an important problem during the early postoperative period. Seve ral surgical and medical methods have been developed to try to overcome thi s problem; however, so far none have been used successfully in the routine clinical practice. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of Cory nebacterium parvum (CP) as a sclerosing agent in both prevention and treatm ent of seromas after mastectomy and axillary dissection in an animal model. Sixty female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent mastectomy and axillary dissect ion under general anaesthesia. Following surgery, the rats were treated in 1 of 3 ways. In the prevention group, 1 cm(3) (0.35 mg) CP solution was inj ected beneath the skin flap just before closure of the incision after maste ctomy. In the treatment group, animals in which a seroma was formed, the fl uid was aspirated, and 1 cm(3) CP solution was injected beneath the flap. I n the control group, animals in which seromas formed, aspiration only was p erformed. The frequency of seroma for mation decreased when CP solution was injected immediately after the operation (p < 0.01). In addition, seroma f ormation was effectively treated by CP injection when compared with the con trol group (p < 0.05). CP was effective as a prophylactic agent in the prev ention group and as a therapeutic agent in the treatment group in this expe rimental model. CP injection may be useful for the management of this probl em in a clinical setting. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.