Breast disease

Breast disease
Specialty	Gynaecology, mastology

Breast diseases can be classified either with disorders of the integuement, or disorders of the reproductive system. A majority of breast diseases are noncancerous.

Breast awareness is a goal of the breast health movement. Rather than promoting the largely ineffective, formally structured breast self-examinations, breast awareness promotes informal familiarity with the normal state of a woman's breasts.

Neoplasms

Illustration of the early warning signs of breast cancer

A breast neoplasm is an abnormal mass of tissue in the breast as a result of neoplasia. A breast neoplasm may be benign, as in fibroadenoma, or it may be malignant, in which case it is termed breast cancer. Either case commonly presents as a breast lump. Approximately 7% of breast lumps are fibroadenomas and 10% are breast cancer, the rest being other benign conditions or no disease.

Phyllodes tumor is a fibroepithelial tumor which can either benign, broderline or malignant.

Malignant neoplasms (breast cancer)

Main article: Breast cancer

Among women worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death. Breast self-examination (BSE) is an easy but unreliable method for finding possible breast cancer. Factors that appear to be implicated in decreasing the risk of, early diagnosis of. or recurrence of breast cancer are regular breast examinations by health care professionals, regular mammograms, self-examination of breasts, healthy diet, and exercise to decrease excess body fat.

Fibrocystic breast changes

Main article: Fibrocystic breast changes

Also called: fibrocystic breast disease, chronic cystic mastitis, diffuse cystic mastopathy, mammary dysplasia

Infections and inflammations

These may be caused among others by trauma, secretory stasis/milk engorgement, hormonal stimulation, infections or autoimmune reactions. Repeated occurrence unrelated to lactation requires endocrinological examination.

Main article: Mastitis

• bacterial mastitis
• mastitis from milk engorgement or secretory stasis
• mastitis or mumps
• chronic subareolar abscess
• tuberculosis of the breast
• syphilis of the breast
• retromammary abscess
• actinomycosis of the breast
• duct ectasia syndrome
• breast engorgement

Abnormal nipple conditions

Breast with an inverted nipple.

Abnormal nipple conditions include:

• nipple discharge
• inverted nipples
• supernumerary nipples

Other breast conditions

• supernumerary breasts
• gynecomastia (males)
• Mondor’s disease
• Paget's disease of the breast
• nipple discharge, galactorrhea
• breast cyst
• mastalgia
• galactocoele

See also

• Mammary gland