Causes

Most breast rashes have the same causes as rashes occurring elsewhere on the body. Some rashes occur only on the breast.

Causes of rash that occur only on the breast may include:

• Breast abscess
• Inflammatory breast cancer
• Mammary duct ectasia
• Mastitis (an infection in breast tissue that most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding)
• Nipple dermatitis
• Paget's disease of the breast

General causes of rash that can affect any part of the body, including the breast, include:

• Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
• Candidiasis (especially under the breasts)
• Cellulitis (a skin infection)
• Dermatitis
• Hives and angioedema
• Psoriasis
• Scabies
• Seborrheic dermatitis
• Shingles