Breast Flashcards
What 7 factors must you take into account when coming up with differentials for breast lump?
- Pain
- Age
- Trauma
- Time
- Changes in size/shape/skin/discharge
- RF
- FLAWS
5 Differentials for breast lump in under 30s
Physiologically normal lumpy breast Benign cystic change Fibro- adenoma Abscess/mastitis (if breast-feeding) Galactocele (if breast-feeding)
LOW risk of cyst/cancer
4 Differentials for breast lump in 30-45yrs
benign cystic change
cyst
abscess (especially smokers)
carcinoma
4 Differentials for breast lump in 45-60yrs
cyst
abscess (smokers)
carcinoma
duct ectasia
Differential for breast lump in >60yrs
carcinoma
benign cystic change (less common)
Which breast lumps develop rapidly?
Abscesses
Cysts
Which breast lumps develop slowly?
Fibroadenomas
Carcinomas
Which breast lump fluctuates with hormonal cycle?
Benign cystic changes
Which breast lumps develop with a history of trauma?
Seat belt injury –> fat necrosis
Aspiration –> predispose to infection + abscess
Which breast lumps are painful?
Benign cystic change
Acute mastitis
Abscess
+/- Cysts
Large breast lumps are more likely to be what?
Abscess/cyst
What skin signs must you look for in breast lump?
Peau d’orange Dimpling Ulceration Warmth Erythema
What nipple signs must you look for in breast lump?
Inversion Scaly Bloody discharge Itching Irregularity
What are the 3 different breast discharges and what can they indicate?
Serous discharge
Green-brown discharge
Milky discharge
How can FLAWS help differentiate diagnoses?
F- Acute mastitis, abscess, carcinoma
L- Carcinoma, acute mastitis, abscess
AWS- Carcinoma
What factors can increase oestrogen exposure? (therefore breast ca risk)
− Early menarche (<13 years) − Late menopause (>51 years) − Nulliparity − Having a first child after the age of about 30 years − Not breast-feeding − Hormonereplacementtherapy(HRT)‡ − Use of combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) − Obesity
What factors can decrease oestrogen exposure?
Breast feeding
Pregnancy
Late menses
Early menopause
There is a higher incidence of more serious cancer in which cohort of patients?
Black ethnicity
Their cancer tends to be triple negative (so can’t be treated with tamoxifen)
How does obesity increase oestrogen exposure?
Adipose cells convert androstenedione –> estrone
Especially for post-menopausal women this increases their E2 exposure
Hereditary conditions increasing risk of breast cancer
Klinefelter’s
Peutz-Jeghers
Cowden
Li-Fraumeni
Key breast cancer risk factors
Age
Being female
RF breast cancer
- FHx - close blood relatives (1x before 40, 2x before 60, 3x)
- Previous breast/endometrial/ovarian/bowel cancer
- Irradiation to the chest wall (such as mantle irradiation for Hodgkin’s lymphoma)
- Increased exposure to oestrogens, especially cyclical stimulation
What aspects of a breast lump should you inspect? (Straps Need Tightening)
STRAPS NEED TIGHTENING:
- Size
- Shape
- Skin
- Nipple
- MeNstruation
- Nodes
- Trauma
- Tethering
- Temperature
- Time
- Tender
- Texture
What 5 features do you use to describe a breast lump?
SURFACE- smooth/irregular BORDERS- distinct/indistinct CONSISTENCY- firm/rubbery/lax MOBILITY- move around breast FIXITY- tethered to skin/underlying muscle LYMPHADENOPATHY
Briefly describe breast anatomy
- Lobules containing alveoli feed into lactiferous ducts which converge at the nipple
- Fat lies between the lobules
- Suspensory ligaments of Cooper separate lobules and provide structural integrity
Define mastitis/abscess
Inflammation of the breast tissue that may be due to bacterial infection
Causes/aeitiology of mastitis/abscess
Clogged ducts with milk stasis Nipple injury (teething infants/breast pump)
Bacteria enter damaged breast (staph. Aureus) leading to infectious mastitis and then abscess
Pathogenesis of mastitis
- Blockage of the milk flow
- Backlog of milk up into the lactiferous ducts and alveoli (within the lobule)
- Alveoli distend
- Lobule distends and can be felt as a palpable lump in the breast
- Milk protein leaks into surrounding tissue (capillaries, connective tissue, fat etc)
- Body reacts to ‘foreign substances’ causing local inflammation = mastitis
What are the different types of mastitis?
NON-INFECTIOUS
- aka duct ectasia
INFECTIOUS
- non-lactational mastitis
- lactational
- complicated –> abscess
when does lactational mastitis occur?
6-8 weeks of breastfeeding or at weaning
Nipple injury due to infant teeth of baby or from over-suctioned breast pump
Mastitis symptoms (use SNT structure)
size/shape/skin:
- Palpable hard wedge
- Red
- Swollen
menstruation/nipples/nodes:
- cracked nipples
- lactation
Trauma/tethering/temp/time/tender/texture:
- 1-2 months of breastfeeding
- Painful
- Solid
- Hot
Classic mastitis presentation
Breast feeding for 1/12
Hot
Painful
Wedge-shaped lump
RF for mastitis/abscess
Lactation Milk stasis Nipple injury Poor technique Shaving Foreign body