Disorders of female breast

Question 1

what is the functional unit of the breast ?

Answer 1

The terminal duct lobular unit TDLU

Question 2

Lobules and ducts of the breasts are lined by two layers of epithelium…

Answer 2

1) luminal cell
2) myoepithelial cell layer

Question 3

which epithelium of the breast if for milk ejection?

Answer 3

myoepithelial cell layer

Question 4

which epithelium of the breast has the inner cell layer for lining the duct and lobules?

Answer 4

luminal cell layer

Question 5

Breast tissue is hormone sensitive?

Answer 5

yes

Question 6

Development of the breasts after menarche is primarily driven by what hormones?

Answer 6

estrogen and progesterone;

Question 7

During pregnancy, breast lobules undergo hypertrophy?

Answer 7

no, its hyperplasia

Question 8

After menopause, breast tissue undergoes what process?

Answer 8

atrophy.

Question 9

what is galactorrhea?

Answer 9

Refers to milk production outside of lactation.

Question 10

what causes galactorrhea?

Answer 10

• nipple stimulation (common physiologic cause)
• prolactinoma of the anterior pituitary (common pathologic cause)
• drugs.

Question 11

what is Acute Mastitis
?

Answer 11

Breast Abscess

Question 12

when can Acute Mastitis happen?

Answer 12

early weeks during lactation by bacterial infection

Question 13

what bacteria can cause acute mastitis?

Answer 13

staph aureus

Question 14

what is seen on the breast if there is acute mastitis?

Answer 14

replacement of breast tissue with fibrous scar

Question 15

what can acute mastitis be mistaken with?

Answer 15

breast cancer

Question 16

what are the gross clinical findings of acute mastitis?

Answer 16

• Breast is swollen, erythematous, and painful
• Purulent nipple discharge
• May progress to abscess formation

Question 17

what are the micro findings of acute mastitis?

Answer 17

Diffuse infiltration by acute inflammatory cells

Question 18

what is Traumatic fat necrosis?

Answer 18

trauma to the breast will cause fat to be released leading to inflammation forming a palpable mass

Question 19

what are the micro findings of traumatic fat necrosis?

Answer 19

• lipid laden macrophages with foreign body giant cells
• fibrosis and dystrophic calcification

Question 20

what are the gross findings of traumatic fat necrosis?

Answer 20

painless indurated mass that gets painful when its acute there will be a mass and skin retraction

Question 21

what is fibrocystic changes?

Answer 21

Distortion of normal cyclic breast changes (hormone mediated) leading to fibrosis and cysts

Question 22

what characterizes fibrocystic changes?

Answer 22

• Fibrosis
• Cystic dilation of terminal ducts
• Ductal hyperplasia
• Sclerosing adenosis.

Question 23

although benign, fibrocystic changes can be a risk for what?

Answer 23

invasive carcinoma

Question 24

cysts found in fibrocystic changes can be described how?

Answer 24

fluid-filled and blue (blue dome cysts)

Question 25

the ductal hyperplasia that occurs in fibrocystic changes can be described as how?

Answer 25

estrogen sensitive

Question 26

the ductal epithelium changes that occur in fibrocystic changes can show what?

Answer 26

apocrine metaplasia (large pink staining cells) or can show hyperplasia

Question 27

what is sclerosing adenosis found in fibrocystic changes?

Answer 27

fibrosis of proliferating small ducts