Introduction
The female breast is called “mamma” in medical terminology. Among the most common diseases of the breast are Mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) Mastopathy Fibroadenoma Galactorrhea Breast cancer On this overview page you will find the most important information about the disease patterns with links to our main pages.
- Mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland)
- Mastopathy
- Fibroadenoma
- Galactorrhea
- Breast Cancer
Diseases of the female breast at a glance
Mastopathy describes benign changes in the connective tissue structure of the breasts, which usually occur on both sides and in women between 35 and 50 years of age. Mastopathy is the most common disease of the female breast, the cause is probably an imbalance in the hormonal balance. The most common symptom is breast pain, which occurs before menstruation.
During palpation of the breast, small nodular changes are noticeable, which are often found in the upper outer quadrants. Further clarification is then provided by mammography and, if necessary, ultrasound examinations of the breast. Click here to go to our main page: MastopathyThe inflammation of the mammary gland occurs most frequently after birth and the beginning of breastfeeding, since the mammary gland is “activated” by breastfeeding.
Two out of every 100 breastfeeding mothers suffer from this form of mastitis, which is called mastitis puerperalis and is usually caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. In most cases, it occurs on one side only and is characterized by swelling, redness and pain. If the inflammatory reaction is pronounced, a fever may also occur, possibly the lymph nodes in the armpit of the affected side are swollen.
The mother can and should continue breastfeeding, there is only a slight risk of infection for the baby. It is important to empty the breast regularly to prevent milk congestion. For further therapy, moist alcohol compresses (have an antibacterial effect) and quark compresses are recommended.
The treatment of a pronounced inflammation of the breast is carried out with antibiotics. If an abscess should form in the breast due to the bacteria, the pus must be relieved by puncture or small incision (under local anaesthetic). Inflammation of the mammary gland can occur, although less frequently, independently of birth and puerperium.
In such cases, the triggering pathogens are usually germs of the normal skin flora, the course is milder but more chronic. Treatment is attempted with prolactin inhibitors (inhibit the formation of the hormone prolactin, which stimulates milk production) and antibiotics. It may be necessary to surgically remove chronic inflammation foci.
Fibroadenomas are the most common benign lumps in the female breast and mostly affect young women between the ages of 20 and 40. They usually occur unilaterally and usually do not cause any discomfort, but are painful in some cases. When palpating the breast, a round or lobular lump is palpated, which can be easily moved and is not caked to the surrounding tissue.
In most cases, ultrasound and mammography can identify the lump as a fibroadenoma and thus as benign. Only in cases of doubt should a biopsy and examination of the tissue be performed. You can find detailed information on this topic here: The fibroadenoma The term galactorrhea describes the discharge of breast milk from the female breast without the woman being pregnant or having recently given birth.
Galactorrhea can also occur in men and children. The cause is usually an increased level of the hormone prolactin. This can be increased either by certain medications or by a tumor of the pituitary gland.
Galactorrhea can also be a sign of breast cancer. In most cases, however, the cause is harmless. A doctor should always be consulted for clarification.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer of women, approximately every 8th-10th woman develops breast cancer during her life, the frequency increases with age. Approximately 5% of all breast cancers are caused by familial gene alterations. The affected women usually develop breast cancer earlier.
The starting point of the malignant changes are either the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma) or the glandular lobules (lobular carcinoma).Metastases are found either along the lymphatic pathways in the armpit and in the area of the collarbone or along the bloodstream as distant metastases in bones, lungs, liver, ovaries and central nervous system. The most common symptom of breast cancer is a palpable lump, half of the malignant lumps are located in the upper outer quadrant. Other symptoms include skin changes, changes in size and shape, pain, burning, itching, secretions from the nipple and swollen lymph nodes in the armpit.
The diagnosis is made by means of palpation, mammography and ultrasound examination. A biopsy (tissue sample) is then performed to determine the histological type of the tissue change. The therapy and the extent of the operation is determined by this.
Approximately 70% of breast carcinomas can be operated with breast-conserving surgery. In addition, the lymph nodes of the armpit are removed and radiation therapy is always performed afterwards. Other complementary therapy methods are chemotherapy, hormone therapy or antibody therapy, which are carried out depending on the type of breast cancer.
Removal of the entire mammary gland, the lymph nodes in the armpit and the breast muscle fascia is necessary if the malignant node is too large or if the tissue type of the breast carcinoma should not be operated to preserve the breast. The prognosis of breast cancer is good if no distant metastases have been found at the time of diagnosis. In order to detect a possible recurrence at an early stage, close follow-up examinations are carried out after the therapy.
Cysts are fluid-filled cavities surrounded by a capsule. They can occur anywhere in the body, including in the breast. In general, this is usually a benign change that usually occurs during the menopause.
The cysts usually cause no symptoms, but once they have reached a certain size, they can be palpated by the patient. A gynecologist should be consulted for clarification. The gynaecologist can look at the cyst using ultrasound and decide what further steps should be taken.
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