Synonyms
Thelitis, MastitisThe inflammation of the nipple is a disease that manifests itself in a painful redness and swelling of the nipple, and may have bacterial or non-bacterial causes. Mostly women are affected, but men can also develop inflamed nipples. In women, it occurs mainly after pregnancy or during breastfeeding.
Symptoms
In order to determine the cause of the nipple inflammation, the doctor will first ask some questions about the development of the inflammation and the current situation of the person affected (pregnancy, lactation, palpation of nodes) and then carry out a physical examination, for example to palpate the lymph nodes. To ensure the diagnosis of nipple inflammation and to detect various causes, an ultrasound can provide important information. In this way, any hardening that may have been palpated can also be examined more closely.
If there is a suspicion of inflammation caused by a pathogen, the doctor will take a smear of breast gland secretion and test it for pathogens. In addition, the blood test can detect or rule out an increase in the hormone prolactin. The thyroid gland hormones can also be monitored, which can also be the cause of a change in the prolactin level.
Some drugs reduce the effect of the hormone dopamine, for example antidepressants. Since dopamine normally keeps the concentration of prolactin low and is less active, these drugs can cause an increased prolactin level. This should be taken into account in the diagnosis.
So the blood test has covered two possible causes. To exclude breast cancer, a mammography is sometimes indicated. This is an imaging procedure in which the breast can be shown in different planes by X-rays.
With this method, tumors can be detected relatively reliably (85-90%). Women between 50 and 69 years of age can have such a mammography every two years as a preventive measure, in order to detect any malignant changes in the earliest stages and to initiate treatment directly. If bloody or purulent secretions are secreted from the nipple, a galactography can be performed to clarify the cause.
This is a representation of the milk ducts with a specific agent. This agent is introduced into the milk ducts with a probe before the X-ray and enhances the contrasts on the X-ray image. Milk congestion and other processes within the milk ducts can thus be depicted well and provide information on the reason for the bloody or purulent secretion.
A biopsy is a tissue sample taken from a suspected tumor node, for example, in order to inspect it more closely and make a diagnosis. There are various ways to obtain a small piece of breast tissue and the removal is usually performed under the sight of ultrasound. The biopsy is then given to a specialist in pathology for evaluation and is crucial in the diagnosis of malignant breast disease and its treatment. and Biopsy of the breast
