Breast Flashcards
What positions should the patient sit in when undergoing a breast examination?
- Sitting on side of bed with arms relaxed
- With hands pressed to hips-> tenses chest wall
- With hands behind head
- Palpation performed whilst lying at 45 degrees and hands behind head
What causes peu d’orange?
- Blocked lymphatic drainage-> superficial oedema + thickening
- Dimples-> sweat ducts
- Can be due to inflammatory breast cancer
What is important to look for on breast examination?
Asymmetry, scars, cosmetics, tethering, puckering, nipple eversion/inversion, discharge, erythema
What might be seen on examination in Paget’s disease of the nipple?
- Erythematous scaly rash (like eczema)
- Itchy and inflamed
- Ulcers
How is a breast exam performed?
- 3I’s + ask for chaperone
- Inspection-> sat + relaxed, hands on hips and hands behind head
- Can ask pt to point out abnormality
- Palpate whilst lying at 45 degrees-> 4 quadrants, sub-areola, tail of axilla + axilla
- Assess any lumps-> where, size, shape, consistency, margins, mobile/fixed, tender, skin colour, discharge
- Examine neck-> cervical + supraclavicular LNs
What does the triple assessment consist of?
- Clinical-> history + exam
- Images-> mammogram
- Histology-> biopsy
What is the anatomy of the breast
- Mostly adipose tissue
- Areola + nippe
- Behind nipple-> ducts lead to lobules (where milk produced)
What features might raise suspicion of a breast cancer?
- Hard, irregular, painless, fixed, tethered to skin/chest wall, nipple retraction, peu d’orange
- Axillary lymphadenopathy
What is the 2 week wait referral criteria for breast cancer?
- Age 30+ with unexplained lump
- Age 50+ with unilateral nipple changes
- Consider-> lump in axilla when >30 or skin changes suggestive of BC
What warrants a non-urgent referral for breast cancer?
Unexplained lump when <30
What is a fibroadenoma?
Common + benign stromal/epithelial breast duct tissue tumour-> not usually associated with cancer
What patient demographics do those with fibroadenomas typically have?
Age 20-40
What are the features of a fibroadenoma?
- On exam-> small, mobile, painless, smooth, round, well circumscribed, firm, >3cm
- Respond to oestrogen + progesterone
- Not associated with cancer unless complex or +ve FH
What are fibrocystic breast changes?
- Fibrous + cystic changes to stroma (connective tissues) + ducts + lobules
- Benign
- Respond to hormones-> fluctuate with menstrual cycle
What are the symptoms of fibrocystic breast changes?
- Fluctuant lumps-> within 10 days of menstruation
- Lumpy, painful
How are fibrocystic breast changes managed?
- Exclude cancer
- NSAIDs
- Avoid caffiene
- Heat compresses
- Hormonal-> tamoxifen, danazol
What are breast cysts?
Benign fluid filled lumps
What patient demographics do those with breast cysts typically have?
- Age 30-50
- Perimenopausal
What are the features of breast cysts?
- Smooth, well circumscribed, mobile, can be painful
- Can fluctuate with cycle
- Can slightly increase risk of breast cancer
How are breast cysts managed?
- Assessment
- Aspiration or excision
What is fat necrosis of the breast?
- Benign lump of localised degeneration + scarring of fat tissue-> may be oil cyst
- Doesn’t increase risk of BC
What can trigger fat necrosis of the breast?
trauma, radiotherapy, surgery
What are the examination findings of fat necrosis of the breast?
Painless, firm, irregular, fixed to local tissues, dimpling/nipple inversion
How is fat necrosis of the breast investigated?
- US/mammogram-> looks similar to BC
- May need biopsy
How is fat necrosis of the breast treated?
- Conservative
- Can resolve over time
- Can excise if needed
What is a lipoma?
Benign tumour of adipose tissue-> can be anywhere in the body
What findings will be present in a lipoma?
Soft, painless, mobile lump with no skin changes
How is a lipoma managed?
- Reassurance
- Removal
What is a galactocele?
- Milk filled cysts-> lactiferous duct blocked + prevents draining
- Often when stop breastfeeding
What does a galactocele feel like on examination?
Firm, mobile, painless, beneath areola
How is galactocele managed?
- Usually resolves
- Can drain
- May need antibiotics
What is Phyllodes tumour?
- Rare connective tissue (stromal) tumour-> large and fast growth
- 50% benign, 25% borderline, 25% malignant
What age group usually gets Phyllodes tumour?
Ages 40-50
How is Phyllodes tumour managed?
- Surgery ie wide excision
- Can recur
- Chemotherapy if malignant
What is gynaecomastia?
Enlargement of glandular breast tissue in males
What age group usually gets gynaecomastia?
- Teens
- > 50’s
- Newborns
- Due to circulating male hormones
What causes gynaecomastia?
Hormone imbalance between oestrogen + androgens
- Idiopathic or physiological-> higher oestrogen in puberty
- Hyperprolactinaemia-> stimulates tissue development
- Obesity-> higher androgen to oestrogen conversion
- Conditions-> testicular cancer, liver disease, hyperthyroid, hCG-secreting tumour
- Reduced testesterone-> older, radiotherapy, surgery, Klienfelter’s, orchitis, testicular damage
- Medications-> anabolic steroids, antipsychotics, digoxin, spironolactone, GnRH, opiates, alcohol
What drugs can cause gynaecomastia?
anabolic steroids, antipsychotics, digoxin, spironolactone, GnRH, opiates, alcohol
Why can hyperprolactinaemia cause gynaecomastia?
- Prolactin stimulates glandular breats tissue development
- Dopamine inhibits so antagonists (antipsychotics) can cause gynaecomastia
Why can obesity cause gynaecomastia?
- Aromatase in adipose converts androgens to oestrogen
- More adipose-> more conversion
How is gynaecomastia investigated?
- Exam-> firm tissue behind areola
- Testicular exam-> TC risk
- Ask about-> sexual dysfunction, lumps, hyperthyroid, medications
- Bloods-> U+Es, LFTs, TFTs, testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), oestrogen, prolactin, LH + FSH, AFP, b-hCG, karyotyping
- Imaging-> breast US, mammogram + biopsy, testicular US, CXR
How is gynaecomastia managed?
- Watchful waiting if healthy
- Stop causative drugs
- Breast clinic-> when unclear or BC suspected
- Tamoxifen-> selective oestrogen receptor modulator
- Surgery
What is galactorrhoea?
- Breast milk production not associated with pregnancy or breastfeeding
- In response to prolactin secretion
When might someone need thorough investigation for gynaecomastia?
If age <30, unexplained + rapid onset
What is the function of prolactin?
- Produced in anterior pituitary + breast/prostate
- Stimulates breast milk production
- Regulates some immune function + metabolism
Why can dopamine antagonists cause galactorrhoea?
- Da blocks prolactin secretion
- Use of DA antagonists (eg antipsychotics)-> raised prolactin
What is the physiology of milk production in pregnancy and breastfeeding?
- Production starts in 2nd + 3rd trimester
- Oestrogen + progesterone inhibit prolactin (in pregnancy)-> rapid drop after birth
- Oxytocin-> stimulates secretion + released after birth
- Tapers off when breastfeeding stops
What can cause galactorrhoea?
Hyperprolactinaemia usually
-Idiopathic, prolactinoma, endocrine (hypothyroid, PCOS), medications (DA antagonists)
What do patients usually present with alongside galactorrhoea and why?
- Menstrual irregularities, reduced libido, erectile dynsfunction, gynaecomastia
- GnRH production from hypothalamus suppressed-> reduced LH + FSH