Diseases of the female breast
Important diseases are breast cancer and mastopathy. The diagnostic procedures available are ultrasound, mamography and MRI of the breast. Extensive information about the diseases can be found under Diseases of the female breast.
Benign changes of the breast tissue (connective and/or glandular tissue) (mastopathy) are the most common breast diseases. 40-50% of all women suffer from this disease. These are changes that result in hormone-dependent increased growth (proliferation) and retraction (regression) of the breast tissue.
Some women, mostly from the age of 30, also have cycle-dependent breast pain (mastodynia). A bilateral milk secretion of the mammary gland, outside the period of pregnancy and lactation (galactorrhea), also has a disease value. This disease can have many causes.
For example, there may be a hormonal disorder. Furthermore, such a disease can also occur as a concomitant disease in connection with other diseases. Stress or heavy physical work can also trigger galactorrhea (milk flow).
Benign tumors in the breast (mammary tumors) can be connective tissue tumors with a glandular component (fibroadenoma), cysts or tumors made of fat (lipoma). The breast can also be inflamed (mastitis non-puerperalis). The reason for such an inflammation of the breast can be bacteria (bacterial mastitis non-puerperalis) or, for example, disturbed hormone levels in the body (abacterial mastitis non-puerperalis).
Breast cancer (mamma carcinoma, mamma ca) is the most common cancer (malignant tumor) in women and is an important disease of the breast. Often women are affected after the menopause (approximately from the age of 50). However, younger women around the age of 20 can also develop breast cancer.
Men can also get breast cancer! The places where breast cancer often develops (predilection site) are the end pieces of the mammary gland and the ductus terminalis (terminal ductus). This is how breast cancer of the lobules, in which the end pieces are located (lobular mammary carcinoma), is distinguished from breast cancer of the ductal ducts (ductal mammary carcinoma). The localization is divided into 4 quadrants and nipple Further and very extensive information on this topic can be found under our topic: Breast cancer