Inflammatory Breast Carcinoma in Pregnancy: A Curious Case of a High-Grade Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Masquerading as a Breast Abscess in the Second Trimester

Inflammatory breast carcinoma is an uncommon presentation of carcinoma breast characterised by tumour cell emboli invading the dermal lymphatics and manifesting as skin oedema and redness, closely resembling acute mastitis. We report the case of a 37-year-old pregnant female in the second trimester (at 16 weeks) with a left breast inflammatory carcinoma deceptively presenting as a breast abscess leading to a late diagnosis, delayed definitive management, and having profound psychological, therapeutic, and prognostic implications. Given its tendency to be clinically misleading and often disregarded until late stages, much emphasis has to be placed on a low threshold of suspicion when suggestive clinical signs are encountered.