Every woman knows that she needs to pay utmost attention to her body. And all because today, unfortunately, women have a lot of exclusively “female” diseases. In this article I want to talk about what breast fibroadenoma is. Causes, symptoms, diagnosis of this disease - all of this will be discussed below.
What it is?
First of all, you need to deal with the concepts themselves. So what is breast fibroadenoma? This is a tumor that occurs in a lady's chest. It consists of glandular and fibrous tissues. It is very important to say that it has a benign nature. According to the international classification, this disease refers to non-cancerous tumors that occur in the breast as a result of neoplasms (class D 24).
About Species
Having understood what breast fibroadenoma is, it is also worth mentioning that this disease has several varieties.
- Pericardial fibroadenoma. Formed around the milk ducts. The tumor itself has strictly defined edges, its structure is dense.
- Inracanalicular fibroadenoma. From the type of disease described above, this tumor is distinguished by a more loose structure, lobular structure and the absence of clear edges. In this case, the connective tissue grows into places, the so-called lumen of the milk ducts.
- Mixed fibroadenoma. This disease has signs of both of the above fibroadenomas.
- Fasiform, or phalloid fibroadenoma. At the very beginning, it can develop quite slowly. However, when there is a jump in its growth, it rapidly increases in size and can reach even 5-10 cm. With its significant size, this tumor can capture even the entire breast. In this case, pain may be observed. It is also worth mentioning that this type of disease is dangerous because in this case the tumor can turn into a cancer.
Risk categories
So, fibroadenoma of the mammary glands. Symptoms of this disease are most often found in women aged 20 to 35 years. However, girls at puberty and women who survive menopause (45-55 years) are also at risk.
Diagnostics
How can this disease be detected? What research can be prescribed for women?
- Examination of a patient with palpation (palpation by a mammologist of a lady’s mammary glands), history taking.
- Blood test - biochemistry (check for the content of certain hormones).
- Mammography (this is a chest x-ray).
- Ultrasound, i.e., ultrasound. It allows you to accurately determine the disease (it is possible to distinguish it from a cyst). However, the results of ultrasound will not tell whether this formation is benign or malignant.
- Biopsy. Non-surgical intervention, when a woman will have a tumor tissue taken. Next, the sample will go for histological examination.
- Cytological examination. Designed to determine the degree of damage to tissues located in the mammary gland, as well as the characteristics of the spread of the disease. The main goal of this study for fibroadenoma is to ensure that there are no cancer cells in the tumor.
Symptoms
If a woman wants to know more about a disease such as fibroadenoma of the mammary glands, symptoms - this is what else should be said without fail. It is worth saying that this disease does not have any clinical manifestations, therefore it is rather difficult to detect it. The only way: periodic palpation, i.e., palpation of your mammary glands. And as a result: with this disease, you can feel a fairly dense nodule that will have a round or oval shape, as well as clear boundaries. Features of this education:
- The size. Most often, the tumor has a size from a few millimeters to three to four centimeters. If it is more than 5 cm, it is customary to call it giant.
- Accommodation Basically, this tumor is localized in the upper part of the external side of the mammary gland.
- Nuance: this formation is in no way associated with the skin or surrounding tissues. Movably.
Visually, this tumor is very rarely seen. On palpation, a woman does not feel pain or discomfort. However, if a lady has leaf-shaped breast fibroadenoma , the symptoms may be as follows:
- Pain during palpation.
- Discharge from the nipple.
In this case, you need to make sure that it is fibroadenoma. After all, the same symptoms can be observed if a woman has a cyst in her chest.
It is also important to say that this neoplasm is most often localized in one of the mammary glands. Very rarely, fibroadenomas are multiple and affect both breasts. It is also necessary to clarify that during menstruation, this tumor may slightly increase. The growth of this neoplasm occurs without any rules. Fibroadenoma can stand in one place for a long time, then begin to grow rapidly and again stop in its development.
The causes of this disease
We further consider the topic "breast fibroadenoma: symptoms, causes and treatment." What can be said about why this disease can occur in women? First of all, I want to clarify that the causes of fibroadenoma are still being studied by specialists. And to say exactly why this neoplasm appeared in the lady, no one can. Possible causes of breast fibroadenoma:
- Hormonal disorders that affect changes in breast tissue (growth of structural elements of the tissue, its improper development, etc. is possible). An excess of estrogen and a lack of progesterone (hormones) may also be the cause.
- Menstrual irregularities.
- Certain diseases of the thyroid gland, ovaries, pituitary, and adrenal glands can also cause fibroadenomas.
- Obesity, gynecological diseases and even diabetes can lead to the occurrence of these neoplasms.
- This tumor, according to American and British scientists, can occur in those girls who take birth control pills before the age of 20 years.
- Also, the cause of this disease can become severe nervous shocks, stresses, which sometimes trigger unnecessary and dangerous programs in the body.
Attention!
Having understood what fibroadenoma of the mammary glands is (symptoms, causes of the disease), it is also necessary to talk about how you can get rid of this problem. First of all, you need to know the following: if a lady felt for some kind of education in her chest, she must and immediately seek medical help. Only a qualified doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe competent treatment.
Fasiform fibroadenoma: treatment
So, phalloid fibroadenoma of the mammary gland. Symptoms and treatment of this problem - now this will be discussed. Recall that the symptoms were described above (different pain). What treatment methods can be with this neoplasm? The only option is surgery. And all because the cells of this tumor are unpredictable - they can turn into cancer at any stage of its development.
Other types of fibroadenomas
What should a woman do if she has been diagnosed with breast fibroadenoma? Symptoms and treatment of the disease - this is what she should first learn about. If the lady has any other fibroadenoma (not fangiform), in this case the doctor will only put the woman on the dispensary record, talk about how often she needs to visit the doctor (for preventive purposes) and give some valuable instructions (regarding the daily routine and regimen nutrition). Often such tumors do not require surgical intervention and remain constant companions of the lady.
A few more words about surgery
What can the doctor advise to the lady who was diagnosed with breast fibroadenoma? Treatment - removal (operation). However, the indications for this should be as follows:
- Surgical intervention can be prescribed if the tumor has recently begun to actively grow and grow in size (it has become twice as large in about six months).
- Surgery can be prescribed for cosmetic purposes if the tumor is visible through the skin or if it simply prevents the woman from living.
The doctor will also advise the following women to remove this neoplasm:
- They are over 40 years old.
- Pregnant women (fibroadenoma can be an obstacle to breastfeeding).
How is the operation
Women who are recommended for surgical intervention should know that there are several options:
- Lumpectomy, or partial resection. It occurs under general anesthesia, a part of healthy tissues is also removed. Most often, this operation is prescribed if there is a suspicion of a malignant tumor.
- Nucleation, or husking. This removal is only the tumor itself, without surrounding tissue. It is done under local anesthesia.
It is worth saying that it is also possible to remove neoplasms without surgery, using a laser.
Postoperative period
We further consider the topic: "Breast fibroadenoma: its symptoms and treatment." What can be said about the features of the postoperative period?
- In the hospital, the lady will spend a maximum of 24 hours.
- For 10 days a woman should be at home, in peace. At this time, the wound is antiseptically treated.
- Suture removal takes place 8-10 days after surgery.
- The seam can ache for a month after surgery.
Effects
What other questions often disturb women with this diagnosis? If breast fibroadenoma has been removed , do any symptoms or consequences remain after surgery? What can be said about this:
- For several years after surgery, a scar will be visible. Over the years, however, it will practically disappear. Its size will not exceed a centimeter.
- Fibroadenomas can occur after their removal. So women need to carefully monitor their hormonal background and the condition of their breasts.