Breast Disease Flashcards
Nipple discharge
- usually clear, yellow, and watery
- Bloody - pathological
most common aetiology of spontaneous nipple discharge is an intraductal papilloma or papillomas. - nipple discharge not associated with malignancy unless associated palpable mass
Mastitis signs/symptoms
fever, erythema, induration (localised hardening of soft tissue), tenderness, and swelling.
breast abscess presents as a flocculent sometimes-bulging mass
Mastitis Ix
USS: pus fluid filled centre
Drainage and culture
Mastitis Mx
NICE Management
• Treat empirically with flucloxacillin 500 mg four times a day for 10–14 days.
• If the woman is allergic to penicillin, prescribe either erythromycin 250–500 mg four times a day or clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day for 10–14 days.
Recurrent Mastitis: If an alternative diagnosis is unlikely:
• Send a sample of breast milk for microscopy, culture, and antibiotic sensitivity (if this has not already been done) — see the section on investigations for more information.
• Prescribe a second-line antibiotic, co-amoxiclav 500/125 mg three times a day, for 10–14 days; review this choice when breast milk culture results become available. Seek specialist advice if the woman is allergic to penicillin.
• Patient should be examined every 3 days to be certain the infection is responding to therapy and that there is no evidence of abscess formation.
Keep breastfeeding - monitor every 3 days
Abscess - aspirate
Nonpuerperal mastitis
uncommon and even rare in postmenopausal women. S. aureus, Peptostreptococcus magnus, and/or Bacteroides fragilis are the usual bacterial pathogens.
Chronic mastitis
- uncommon and can be associated with a subareolar abscess
- Peri-areolar fistulae can occur and should be surgically excised when the inflammation is quiescent.
- if spreads and unresponsive - examine for inflammatory carcinoma
Gynaecomastia
Breast development in the male
Ductal growth without lobular development. Lacks terminal ducts that females have
Causes: cannabis, endogenous/exogenous hormones, drugs and liver disease
Cyst
Palpable breast cysts commonly occur during the late reproductive years of a woman’s life
A discrete collection of fluid in the breast tissue
Most common between ages 30-60.
Can fluctuate in size over the menstrual cycle
Cyst signs/symptoms
cyst is typically palpable, clearly defined, soft, mobile, and smooth. The borders are distinct.
Cysts are often somewhat tender, especially before menstruation.
Cyst Ix
FNA - treats as well
only if bloody - cytological evaluation
Fibrocystic Change
female: 20-50
very common in menstruating age (related to hormonal changes around menstrual cycle)
benign condition
Fibrocystic Change signs/symptoms
Symptoms often occur prior to menstruating (within 10 days) and resolve after wards. Usually resolve post menopause
- Smooth discrete lumps
- Sudden pain or cyclical pain
- Bilateral breast lumpiness
- Bilateral breast pain / tenderness (mastalgia)
- Fluctuation of breast size
Fibrocystic Change pathology
blue domed and lined by apocrine epithelium (apocrine metaplasia)
Fibrocystic change Mx
- Supportive Clothing
- NSAIDs
- Weight Loss
- Hormonal contraception may make it worse (consider stopping)
- Exclude malignancy and reassure
- Excise if necessary
Hamartoma
Circumscribed lesion composed of cell types normal to the breast but present in an abnormal proportion or distribution
Fibroadenoma
most common benign neoplasm of the breast and usually is diagnosed as a palpable mass (for example, 1–3 cm) in the early reproductive years of a woman’s life (peak incidence 3rd)
Benign tumours of stromal/epithelial breast duct tissue
fibroadenoma signs/symptoms
Smooth Painless, firm, discrete, mobile mass
“breast mouse”
fibroadenoma Ix
USS (rubbery to firm, mobile, smooth with distinct borders, and is usually nontender Grey-white colour) and Core biopsy
Fibroadenoma Mx
dont need to be removed (become nonpalpable after menopause)
some women prefer to have such breast lumps excised
electively in the form of open lumpectomy or percutaneous vacuum-assisted core biopsy
Sclerosing Lesions
- Sclerosing adenosis
- Radial scar / Complex sclerosing lesion
- Benign, disorderly proliferation of acini and stroma
can cause mass or calcification
Sclerosing Adenosis
- Age 20-70
- Benign
- Negligible risk of subsequent carcinoma
- Increase in number and disortion but myoepethial is still intact
Sclerosing Adenosis signs/symptoms
- Pain, tenderness or lumpiness/thickening
* Asymptomatic
Radial scar
- Incidental finding
- Mammographically detected
- Mimic carcinoma radiologically
- Probably not premalignant per se
- Often show epithelial proliferation
- In situ or invasive carcinoma may occur within these lesions
- Stellate architecture, central puckering and radiating fibrosis
Radial scar vs CSL Size
RS: 1-9mm
CLS: > 10mm
RS and CLS Mx
Excise or sample extensively by vacuum biopsy
Fat necrosis
Lump formed by local degeneration/scarring of fat tissue
This is an inflammatory reaction resulting in fibrosis and eventually necrosis
caused by local trauma or breast surgery
Fat necrosis pathology
- Damage and disruption of adipocytes
- Infiltration by acute inflammatory cells
- “foamy” macrophages
- Subsequent fibrosis and scarring
Fat necrosis signs/symptoms
firm, irregular, fixed lump. May cause skin dimpling or nipple inversion.