Breast disease - women's health Flashcards
what is Peau d’orange
it is an irregular patch of skin which may be associated with inflammatory breast cancer
what causes Peau d’orange
blocked lymphatic drainage from the affected skin area causes superficial oedema which makes the skin thickened. The sweat ducts cause small dimples within the oedematous skin leading to a thickened and dimpled appearance
what is pagets disease of the nipple
it is an erythematous scaly rash of the nipple region which resembles eczema, it can be itchy inflamed or ulcerated
- may indicate an underlying breast cancer
what is the basic anatomy of the breast
the breast sits in front of the chest wall. Most of the breast is adipose tissue, the areola surrounds the nipple. Behind the nipple are the ducts which lead into lobules where breast milk is produced. Milk is secreted through the ducts and out of openings in the nipple
what does triple assessment involve when screening for cancer
clinical assessment - history and exam
imaging - ultrasound or mammogram
histology - fine needle aspiration or core biopsy
what clinical features may suggest breast cancer
lumps that are hard, irregular, painless or fixed
lumps tethered to either the skin or the chest wall
nipple retraction
skin dimpling or oedema
when do you refer someone on two week wait for suspected breast cancer
- unexplained breast lump in patients aged 30 or above
- unilateral nipple changes in patients 50 or above
- consider referral if there is an unexplained lump in the axilla or if there are skin changes suggestive of cancer
what is a fibroadenoma
it is a common benign tumour of the stromal or epithelial duct tissue
when are fibroadenomas most common
in younger women between the ages of 20 and 40
on examination what are fibroadenomas like
painless
smooth
round
well circumscribed
firm
mobile
usually up to 3cm in diameter
what is fibrocystic breast changes
it is considered a variation of normal
it is a benign condition causing lumpiness and pain of the breast
what causes fibrocystic breast changes
the connective tissue (stroma), ducts and lobules of the breast respond to oestrogen and progesterone, and become fibrous and cystic. this can fluctuate with the menstrual cycle
when do the symptoms of fibrocystic breast changes present
it normally presents around 10 days prior to menstruation and will resolve once menstruation begins
what are the symptoms of fibrocystic breast changes
lumpiness
pain or tenderness (mastalgia)
fluctuation in breast size
what is the management for fibrocystic breast changes
wearing a supportive bra
non steroidal anti-inflammatories
avoid caffeine
apply heat to the area
hormonal treatments (danazol and tamoxifen)
what are breast cysts
these are benign, individual, fluid filled lumps
on examination what can breast cysts feel like
smooth
well circumscribed
mobile
possibly fluctuant
can be painful
what is the management of breast cysts
require further assessment to rule out cancer
aspiration is the patient is in pain
what happens if you get fat necrosis of the breast
you have a benign lump
what happens when there is fat necrosis of the breast
there is localised degeneration and scarring of the fat tissue due to inflammation and fibrosis, which may be associated with an oil cyst, causing a lump
what are common causes of fat necrosis in the breast
trauma
radiotherapy
surgery
on examination what is fat necrosis of the breast like
painless
firm
irregular
fixed in local structures
there may be dimpling of the skin or nipple inversion
what is the management of fat necrosis of the breast
need to have imaging and histology to rule out cancer
it is treated conservatively normally as it will go away over time
can have surgical excision if the symptoms are bad
what is a lipoma
benign tumours of fat tissue
what is a lipoma like on examination
soft
painless
mobile
does not cause any skin changes
how is lipoma treated
they are typically treated conservatively with reassurance
they can be surgically removed
what is a galactocele
it can occur in women that are lactating
they are breast milk filled cysts that occur when the lactiferous duct is blocked
how does a galactocele present
firm
mobile
painless
usually beneath the areola
how do you treat galactocele
benign and usually resolve without treatment
can be drained
rarely become infected and require antibiotics
what is phyllodes tumour
rare tumour of the stroma (connective tissue) which are large and very fast growing
- can be benign, borderline and malignant
what age are phyllodes tumours most common in
ages 40-50
how do you treat phyllodes tumour
surgical removal and surrounding tissue
chemotherapy if malignant
what are they two types of breast pain
cyclical
non cyclical
what is cyclical pain
it is breast pain that is related to hormonal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle
when does cyclical breast pain typically present
normally presents two weeks before menstruation and settles during the menstrual period
what are the other symptoms of premenstrual syndrome other that breast pain
low mood
bloating
fatigues
headaches
what are symptoms of cyclical breast pain
bilateral and generalised breast pain
heaviness
aching
when is non cyclical breast pain common
more common in women aged 40-50
what can be causes of non cyclical breast pain
medications - hormonal contraceptives
infection
pregnancy
chest wall pain - costochondritis
skin issues - shingles, post herpetic neuralgia
how do you diagnose breast pain
breast pain diary - cyclical breast pain
history and exam to rule out cancer
perform pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy
need to rule out infection
how do you manage breast pain
wearing a supportive bra
NSAIDS - oral or topical
avoiding caffeine
applying heat to the area
hormonal treatments - danazol and tamoxifen