Recently, in mammology, the number of cases of breast fibrosis has increased significantly. The disease is a lesion of benign breast tissue - stroma. As a result, seals occur in the mammary gland, which most often a woman discovers by chance when examined by a treating specialist. And although fibrosis of the stroma of the mammary gland is not a very dangerous disease, it is important to treat it immediately after its appearance, since any types of neoplasms in the mammary glands as a result can provoke a malignant tumor, as well as worsen the appearance of the breast and affect the self-esteem of women.
Description of defeat
Breast fibrosis spreads to its connective tissues, grows and tightens collagen, elastin, and glycoprotein cells that form the tissues themselves, synthesized by fibroblasts. Such processes provoke the formation of cicatricial neoplasia and problems with the functioning of the mammary gland. The disease can spread to the connective tissue or internal organs of a person.
Features of the development of the disease
When considering a disease such as stromal fibrosis, for a start, you should consider the structure of the mammary glands. A woman's breast includes fatty and glandular tissues: the first is responsible for the general shape of the breast, and the second forms the main ducts and gland. But between the described tissues there is also a connective, which helps to bind them into a single whole.
Also, fibrous tissues form a kind of septum that connects the skin and glandular capsule. Connective tissue is not only in the human chest, so the disease in most cases begins in the liver, prostate and thyroid gland, as well as the lungs.
The uniform distribution of tissues in the mammary gland depends on the hormonal background of the woman, and over time, when the ability to bear the baby decreases, the gland tissue begins to be replaced by fat. With problems with the production of hormones in the human body (this is the main regulator of women's breast health), the stroma begins to actively increase in size, which is very dangerous.
It should be noted that in its pure form, fibrosis occurs extremely rarely in humans, most often the defeat is one of the manifestations of a concomitant disease - fibrocystic mastopathy. At an early stage of development of stromal fibrosis, it is not easy to diagnose, in some cases it is even impossible to consult a doctor. But over time, fibrous tissue spreads, forms nodes and characteristic seals.
Types of Fibrosis
The benignity and malignancy of the formation that arose during the development of fragments of stromal fibrosis will directly depend on the structure and location of the nodes. The following types of lesions:
- Local form. It is characterized by a round or oval formation, which has a smooth surface. It can be easily diagnosed with palpation, the formation is distinguished by its mobility.
- Diffuse fibrosis is a more complex and serious form of stromal fibrosis, otherwise called common fibrosis. Connective tissue quickly forms inside and near the milky ducts. In this case, education does not have pronounced boundaries, and when probing, it is not determined in all cases.
- Severe, or linear, fibrosis appears in a woman when the tissue, spreading along the ducts and passing to the septum between the lobes of the gland, forms oblong cords.
- Perivascular fibrosis is an endometrial polyp with focal stromal fibrosis. It occurs in the mammary glands with active proliferation of connective tissue, not only near the septa and ducts, but also blood, lymph vessels and capillaries.
The causes of the defeat
With severe stromal fibrosis in a woman, the body has serious problems with the hormonal background. In treatment, the main goal is to eliminate the cause of the imbalance in the hormonal background. Doctors share all the causes of hormonal problems in women on external and internal:
- Internal ones include diseases of internal organs, getting injured, miscarriage, refusal to breast-feed.
- External causes of the onset of the disease include poor ecology in the woman’s place of residence, poorly prepared diet, abuse of bad habits, nervous shocks, depression, regular stress, strong physical stress on the body, and fatigue.
When identifying the cause of a problem with the hormonal system, it is very important to eliminate it or try to reduce the strength of its effect on the human body.
With breast fibrosis, treatment always begins with diagnostic measures, testing, improving the diet and prescribing a special diet. In this case, a woman should abandon bad habits and a stressful lifestyle.
Symptoms of Fibrosis
Symptoms of the disease in each case may be different and occur individually in each woman. The most common and characteristic of such a disease include the following manifestations:
- pain, fatigue, general malaise;
- discharge from the nipples (usually colorless);
- the appearance of characteristic seals, a change in the shape of the mammary glands;
- discoloration of the nipples and halo.
It is important to remember that all the symptoms described may indicate the presence of other diseases, including breast cancer, so you should not postpone a visit to the doctor for a long time, as this can be very dangerous.
Diagnostic measures
Any seals in a woman’s mammary gland is an alarming sign in which it is important to visit a doctor as soon as possible and determine the nature of the disease. It should be remembered: surgical intervention or treatment with drugs with an inaccurate diagnosis can provoke an acceleration in the development of cancer.
Diagnostic measures for fibrosis include:
- An examination by a mammologist who probes the mammary glands, lymph nodes and determines possible formations.
- Ultrasound and mammography. Also, some women require chromocystography (x-ray of the ducts with the introduction of special contrasts).
- Blood test (for hormones and general).
- Tissue biopsy, histological examination.
After the diagnosis is accurately established, the doctor will prescribe the woman the correct and effective treatment, which will be aimed at eliminating the symptoms of the lesion in a particular case. Depending on the stage of development of the disease and its danger, both medical treatment and surgical intervention (including the removal of a significant part of the breast) can be prescribed.
It should be noted that they try to use surgery as little as possible, most often doctors are limited to removing nodes and cysts in the acute course of the disease. Usually, doctors prescribe the patient treatment with traditional and folk methods.
The traditional (in another way - medication) treatment includes the complex use of hormonal drugs, homeopathic medicines and following a special dietary diet. The choice of hormonal drugs is made by the doctor, based on a lack or excess of the hormone that provoked the disease. Hormones can be both internal and external - ointments, gels, creams. Homeopathic remedies can be prescribed if a woman has diffuse fibrosis.
In addition to the main methods of treatment, the doctor prescribes a complex of vitamins, iodine products and sedatives. Traditional medicine - decoctions of herbs, compresses, lotions - in this case does not bring much effect, but can be used to relieve some symptoms of the disease. Before using folk recipes, it is important to consult a doctor without fail.
Preventive actions
Currently, it is impossible to prevent the development of the disease, so it can occur in every person. To prevent a complication of the disease and begin its timely treatment, it is important to regularly conduct a self-examination. The best time for this will be the first few weeks of the menstrual cycle. It is also important to remember about scheduled examinations by a doctor (gynecologist and mammologist), conducting an ultrasound scan and passing the appropriate tests.
There are factors that can trigger the appearance of breast fibrosis:
- The birth of a child at a later age. This applies to those women who delay the birth of a child until 30 years of age and later, the risk of suffering from the disease is much higher.
- The risk group includes women who often have abortions and use a large number of hormonal drugs.
- Negatively affects the body and leads to the appearance of various diseases as well as a woman's refusal to breastfeed.
Also, the prevention of this and other diseases will be maintaining a healthy lifestyle: getting rid of bad habits, playing sports, proper nutrition. The hormonal background affects many systems in the human body. It helps maintain a woman’s sleep and breast condition, which is keenly responsive to any disturbances in it. Breast fibrosis is a common manifestation of disorders in the hormonal system.
Uterine Fibrosis
Fibrosis of the uterine stroma can be of several types - diffuse and focal. A change in connective tissue and the formation of a characteristic seal, as a rule, leads to the appearance of the corresponding symptoms. It is impossible to independently identify a disease, especially when it is at the initial stage of its development. Symptoms will directly depend on the location of the proliferation, as well as its vastness. The main symptoms of cervical stroma fibrosis:
- Pain during sexual intercourse.
- An increase in the lower abdomen.
- Sensation of strong pressure on the lower abdomen, its fullness.
- Problems with urination.
- Pain in the pelvic area and in the lumbar spine.
- Long menstruation.
Endometrial stroma with focal fibrosis leads to prolonged and severe bleeding during menstruation, as well as the release of blood outside the menstrual cycle. Benign nodes can lead to constipation if they press on the rectum.
As a result of a deterioration in immunity, focal stromal fibrosis is formed in the channel of the uterine gland, which often leads to infertility or an inflammatory process in the uterus. If timely treatment is not provided, the disease provokes problems with the menstrual cycle.
You can avoid this condition if you regularly go for a visit to the gynecologist. It is important to remember that with uterine fibrosis, blood discharge between menstruation comes out of a woman's genital tract.
Ovarian Fibrosis
Ovarian stromal fibrosis is a benign tumor, most often of a one-sided type, not functioning and characterized by mild symptoms. Such a lesion cannot be classified as widespread, and it is detected, as a rule, after a significant increase in size. The tumor has a round shape, knotty or even surface, location on the leg, which gives it mobility. It can be soft or hard.
Stroma with severe ovarian fibrosis is removed through surgery in conjunction with a sick appendage. With a serious stage of development, the disease formation can reach up to 12 centimeters in cross section. Small tumors most often do not bring unpleasant symptoms to a woman and do not lead to pain and problems with the functioning of the ovary.
Glandular endometrial polyp
The endometrium is the uterine mucosa that lines its cavity. It includes the integumentary epithelium and the basal layer (base and stroma) with glands embedded inside. The endometrium can vary greatly throughout the menstrual cycle. Under the influence of the produced hormones, it can become thicker, thereby preparing for the transfer of a fertilized egg. The glands branch during menstruation, secrete a certain amount of secretion with an alkaline reaction.
If the egg does not reach the uterine cavity and is not fixed in it, then the endometrium becomes thinner and rejected over time, leading to menstruation. In this case, only the integumentary epithelium is rejected. The basal layer remains in place and helps restore the condition of the endometrium. The process begins anew with the onset of a new cycle of menstruation.
The endometrial polyp is a neoplasm of a benign nature that is formed from its cells. The glandular endometrial polyp is formed from cells of the endometrial glands in the basal layer. It looks like a knot and is located at the bottom or in opposite corners of the uterus.
The glandular polyp is small in size and consists of a separate body and a leg, in which there are blood vessels. With incomplete removal of the legs of the polyp in most cases, the disease occurs repeatedly. Sometimes the glands next to the polyp begin to change their shape and general structure. This condition is called adenomatosis, a disease that can become malignant.
Reasons for the appearance
Glandular endometrial polyps with stromal fibrosis can appear as a result of exposure to various factors. Most often, their appearance is associated with glandular endometrial hyperplasia (a formation in the mucous layer that occurs with an increase in the number of glandular cells). Such a lesion is rapidly developing due to problems with hormones in the body (excessive amounts of estrogen and a lack of progesterone). Hyperplasia manifests itself in small areas of the uterine wall in the form of foci, which then change to glandular polyps of the endometrium.
Glandular polyps with focal stromal fibrosis can appear in a person of any age category. But most often they occur in women who are in a transition period (puberty or menopause). This can be explained by the fact that during this period of time in their body there are problems with hormones that provoke the appearance of such formations.