Breast Examination Flashcards
Describe the introduction
Introduce yourself to the patient including your name and role.
Confirm the patient’s name and date of birth.
Briefly explain what the examination will involve using patient-friendly language: “Today I’ve been asked to perform a breast examination. The examination will involve me first inspecting the breasts, then placing a hand on the breasts to assess the breast tissue. Finally, I’ll examine the glands of your neck and armpit.”
Explain the need for a chaperone: “One of the female ward staff members will be present throughout the examination, acting as a chaperone, would that be ok?”
Check if the patient understands everything you’ve said and allow time for questions: “Does everything I’ve said make sense? Do you feel you understand what the examination will involve? Do you have any questions?”
Gain consent to proceed with the examination: “Are you happy for me to carry out the breast examination?”
Position the patient sitting upright on the side of the bed.
Ask the patient to undress down to the waist to adequately expose their breasts for the examination. Provide the patient with privacy to get undressed and offer a blanket to allow exposure only when required.
If the patient has presented due to concerns about a lump, ask about its location. This can be helpful during initial inspection and when palpating the breasts as you should always begin palpation on the asymptomatic breast.
Ask the patient if they have any pain before proceeding with the clinical examination.
Describe inspection
With the patient sitting on the side of the bed ask them to place their hands on their thighs to relax the pectoral muscles.
Inspect the breasts looking for:
Scars: these may indicate previous breast surgery such as lumpectomy (small scar) or mastectomy (large diagonal scar).
Asymmetry: this can be helpful in identifying abnormalities via comparison, however, it should be noted that breast asymmetry is a normal feature in most women.
Masses: note any visible lumps that will require further assessment.
Nipple abnormalities: these can include nipple inversion and discharge.
Skin changes: including scaling, erythema, puckering and peau d’orange.
Describe nipple inversion
Nipple inversion is a normal finding in a significant proportion of women (e.g. congenital or weight-loss associated nipple inversion). However, if nipple inversion develops without a clear precipitant, the possibility of underlying pathology should be considered. Possible pathological causes of nipple inversion include breast cancer, breast abscess, mammary duct ectasia and mastitis.
Describe nipple discharge
Nipple discharge is benign is most cases (e.g. pregnancy, breast-feeding) however less commonly it can be associated with mastitis or underlying breast cancer (rare).
Describe the skin changes associated with breast pathology
Scaling of the nipple and/or areola associated with erythema and pruritis are typical features of Paget’s disease of the breast (see the example image). Paget’s disease is associated with underlying in-situ or invasive carcinoma of the breast.
Erythema of the breast tissue has a wide range of causes including infection (e.g. mastitis or breast abscess), trauma (e.g. fat necrosis) and underlying breast cancer.
Puckering of breast tissue is typically associated with invasion of the suspensory ligaments of the breast by an underlying malignancy that results in ligamentous contraction which draws the skin inwards.
Peau d’orange (dimpling of the skin resembling an orange peel) occurs due to cutaenous lymphatic oedema. The dimples represent tethering of the swollen skin to hair follicles and sweat glands. Peau d’orange is typically associated with inflammatory breast cancer.
Explain why we then ask the patient to put their hands on their hips
Repeat inspection with the patient pressing their hands into their hips to contract the pectoralis muscles.
If a mass is visible, observe if it moves when the pectoralis muscle contracts which suggests tethering to the underlying tissue (e.g. invasive breast malignancy).
The manoeuvre may also accentuate puckering if a mass invading the suspensory ligaments of the breast is also tethered to the pectoralis muscle.
Explain why we ask the patient to put their arms behind their head and lean forward
Finally, complete your inspection by asking the patient to place their hands behind their head and lean forward so that the breasts are pendulous.
This position exposes the entire breast and will exaggerate any asymmetry, skin dimpling or puckering.
Describe breast palpation
Adjust the head of the bed to 45° and ask the patient to lie down. Begin palpation on the asymptomatic breast first and then repeat all examination steps on the contralateral breast. Ask the patient to place the hand on the side being examined behind their head to fully expose the breast.
A systematic approach to palpation is essential to ensure all areas of the breast are examined. There are several different techniques all of which are equally appropriate if you perform them correctly:
Clock face method: view the breast as a clock face and examine each ‘hour’ from the outside towards the nipple.
Spiral method: begin palpation at the nipple and work outwards in a concentric circular motion.
Quadrants method: divide the breast into quadrants and examine each thoroughly.
Use the flats of your middle three fingers to compress the breast tissue against the chest wall, as you feel for any masses. If a mass is detected, assess the following characteristics:
What characteristics should you note about any breast masses
Location Size Shape Consistency Mobility Fluctuance Overlying skin changes
Describe palpation of the axillary tail
The axillary tail is a projection of breast tissue that begins in the upper outer quadrant of the breast and extends into the axilla. The majority of breast cancers develop in the upper outer quadrant so it’s essential this area is examined thoroughly.
Describe how to assess the different characteristics of a breast lump
If you palpate a mass during a breast examination assess the following characteristics.
Location
Which quadrant of the breast is the mass located within?
How far away from the nipple is the mass located?
Size and shape
What are the approximate dimensions of the mass?
What shape is the mass?
Consistency
What is the consistency of the mass on palpation? (e.g. smooth/firm/stony/rubbery)
Overlying skin changes
Are there any changes to the skin overlying the mass? (e.g. erythema/puckering)
Mobility
Assess the degree of mobility the mass has:
Does it move freely?
Does it move with the overlying skin?
Does it move with pectoral contraction?
Fluctuance
Hold the mass by its sides and then apply pressure to the centre of the mass with another finger. If the mass is fluid-filled (e.g. cyst) then you should feel the sides bulging outwards.
Describe palpation of the nipple-areolar complex
Use the flats of your middle three fingers to compress the areolar tissue towards the nipple as you inspect for any nipple discharge.
If there is a history of nipple discharge, hold the nipple between your index finger and thumb and try to express any discharge assessing its characteristics:
Colour (e.g. blood-stained, green, yellow)
Consistency (e.g. thick, watery)
Volume
Describe the different types and causes of nipple discharge
Milky discharge: normal during pregnancy and when breastfeeding (bilateral). Galactorrhoea (nonpuerperal lactation) is pathological and caused by the presence of a prolactinoma.
Purulent discharge: thick yellow, green or brown discharge with an offensive smell. Possible causes include mastitis and central breast abscess.
Watery and bloody discharge: several possible causes however ductal carcinoma in situ is the most important diagnosis to consider.
Describe elevation of the breast
Lift the breast with your hand to inspect for evidence of pathology not visible during the initial inspection (e.g. dimpling, skin changes).
Describe the importance of examining the lymph nodes
Palpate the regional lymph nodes which are responsible for lymphatic drainage of the breast to identify evidence of breast cancer metastases. Enlarged, hard, irregular lymph nodes are suggestive of metastatic spread.
