Breast Disorders

Question 1

Breast Cancer mass presentation

Answer 1

Solitary nodule
Non-tender
Firm to hard
Ill defined margins
Not mobile
Skin nipple retractions
Axillary lymphadenopathy 
Remember, a good number of breast masses are found by mammogram with no palpable mass.

Question 2

Breast Care Guidelines from the ACS Age 20-39:

Answer 2

Have a clinical breast exam by a provider or nurse every three years.
Do a breast self-exam every month.

Question 3

Breast Care Guidelines from the ACS Age 40 and over:

Answer 3

Have a mammogram every year.
Have a clinical breast exam by a provider or nurse every year.
Do a breast self-exam every month.

Question 4

Benign Breast Mass typical presentation

Answer 4

Easy mobility within the breast, regular borders and a soft or cystic feel all suggest a benign process, although this is not totally reliable.

Question 5

Mastitis Characteristics

Answer 5

Breast tenderness or warmth to the touch
Generally feeling ill (malaise)
Swelling of the breast
Pain or a burning sensation continuously or while breast-feeding
Skin redness, often in a wedge-shaped pattern
Fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or greater

Question 6

Mastitis Treatment

Answer 6

Staph aureus is the culprit.
Antibiotics against PCN-resistant staph:
Dicloxacillin or a cephalosporin (Keflex) for 5-7 days.
Regular emptying of the breast by nursing followed by expression of any remaining milk by hand or with a mechanical suction device.
Warm compresses to breast.

Question 7

Intraductal Papilloma

Answer 7

a tiny wart-like growth in breast tissue that sometimes punctures a duct. BENIGN!
Occurs most often in women ages 35 – 55. the most common cause of spontaneous nipple discharge from a single duct…Discharge can be serous, bloody or cloudy