Repro 11.2.1 Breast Disease Flashcards
What happens to breasts before menarche?
Increase in the number of lobules in the breast and increased volume of interlobular stroma
How might breast conditions present?
Pain Palpable mass Nipple discharge Skin changes Lumpiness
What type of breast masses are most worrying?
Hard, craggy and fixed
What are potential causes of palpable masses in the breast?
Invasive carcinoma
Fibroadenomas
Cysts
When is nipple discharge most concerning?
If spontaneous and unilateral
What type of pathology does milky nipple discharge suggest?
Endocrine disorders eg. pituitary adenoma, side effect of medicine (OCP)
WHat does bloody or serous nipple discharge suggest?
Benign lesions eg. papilloma, duct ectasia, occasionally malignant lesions
Who is invited to have mammography screening and how often?
47-53 year olds every 3 years
What are worrying findings in mammography?
Densities - invasive carcinomas, fibroadenomas, cysts
Calcifications - ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), benign changes
What is the most common benign breast tumour?
Fibroadenoma
What type of tumours does mammographic screening increase detection of?
Small invasive tumours (hard to feel)
In situ carcinomas
WHen do fibroadenomas commonly occur?
<30 years
Can occur at any age
When do phyllodes tumours commonly occur?
Most present in 6th decade
When does breast cancer most commonly occur?
Rare before 25years (except for some familial cases)
Incidence increases with age
77% occur in women >50 years
Average age at diagnosis is 64 years
Name some disorders of development.
Milk line remnants
Polythelia
Accessory axillary breast tissue
Name some inflammatory disorders of the breast.
Acute mastitis
Duct ectasia
Fat necrosis
What is acute mastitis?
Usually a Staph aureus infection from nipple cracks and fissures
Erythemous painful breast, often pyrexia
Almost always occurs during lactation