Objective To develop a novel drainage catheter based on the anatomical structure of the mammary duct and establish a non-invasive treatment protocol for patients with acute high-tension breast milk cyst during lactation.

Methods Ten primiparous patients with acute high-tension breast milk cyst during lactation, admitted to the postpartum clinics of three hospitals, were enrolled as study subjects. A novel drainage catheter was prepared using an epidural anesthesia catheter, and intubation was performed to unblock the obstructed mammary ducts. For cases with intubation failure, puncture aspiration was employed. Local cold compresses were applied to the breasts after treatment.

Results Out of 10 patients, 6 were successfully unblocked (successful group), and 4 failed (failure group). The duration of illness in the successful group was (6.00±0.82) days, which was shorter than that in the failure group (9.50±1.80) days(P < 0.05). The insertion depth of the catheter in the successful group was (6.42±0.67) cm, which was greater than that in the failure group (4.00±0.71) cm (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in cyst diameter between the two groups (P>0.05). For patients in whom unblocking failed, puncture aspiration was performed, and 3 of them experienced recurrence after the initial puncture. Ultrasound-guided re-puncture aspiration and weaning were performed. One patient with evident inflammatory symptoms was administered systemic antibiotic therapy. After treatment, 7 patients resumed lactation, and follow-up resultsindicated that all 10 patients were cured.

Conclusion Acute high-tension breast milk cyst during lactation is relatively rare in clinical practice. The novel drainage catheter can achieve non-invasive unblocking of distally obstructed mammary ducts in the lactiferous sinus. The comprehensive treatment protocol can improve the overall cure rate and result in a high rate of resumed lactation post-treatment.