Many are interested in why bumps appear on the chest? During a gynecological examination, the doctor often discovers seals in the mammary glands of his patients. In such cases, for a detailed examination, the doctor should write out the patient’s referral for a consultation with a narrower specialist - a mammologist. His tasks include conducting a detailed diagnosis to determine the nature of the occurrence of education and tactics for its further elimination.
Causes of the appearance of tumors
Often, pathology is formed due to prolonged stagnation of milk in the mother’s breast during breastfeeding. Small formations in the chest often appear in the premenstrual period, disappearing immediately after it. In other cases, the occurrence of formations in the mammary glands requires contacting specialists.
In most cases, the following benign tumors occur in a woman's breast:
- cysts;
- adenomas;
- mastitis;
- lipomas;
- calcifications;
- thrombosis;
- lactostases;
- fatty necrosis.
With the right approach to therapy, the above diseases are easily eliminated without any threat to the patient's life. In order to timely detect a bump on the chest, it is necessary to periodically undergo preventive examinations. For women under 40, doctors advise once a year to conduct an ultrasound of the mammary glands. At an older age, it is better to carry out a different type of examination with the same frequency - radiography. This approach to diagnosis allows not only to detect any benign changes in the chest, but also to notice the development of oncological processes in a timely manner. The latter can significantly worsen the patient’s health and even lead to death.
Mammologist consultation
Doctors manage to detect relatively large formations during palpation of the woman’s breasts. Cones less than 1 centimeter often go unnoticed. In order to understand what such formations can lead to, you need to understand all their features and listen to the opinion of the doctor.
Cysts, fibromas, and adenomas
In most cases, women have mastopathy. It is a seal of glandular tissue, characterized by its shape and size. These formations in 95% of cases are benign. The reason for the appearance of a lump on the chest is an excessive amount of estrogen with a lack of progesterone.
- Cysts Such formations have a clear shape and a fairly soft structure. On palpation, cones of this type are motionless. If they grow to large sizes, doctors pierce them to get rid of the excessive amount of fluid inside. Small cysts are removed using conservative techniques.
- Fibromas. They differ in friability on palpation. This is due to the fact that connective tissue predominates in the structure of these formations. In order to get rid of large cones on the chest, it is recommended to use hormone therapy.
- Adenomas. Their distinguishing feature is pain on palpation. Due to the fact that such formations can degenerate into malignant tumors, a biopsy is used to diagnose them. In the event that fibroids grow to large sizes, doctors advise to remove the bumps on the chest in women surgically.
The above cones in the chest with timely detection are easily and well treated.
Lipomas in the chest
By lipomas, doctors mean tumors consisting of overgrown adipose tissue. Among the main reasons for their appearance, experts single out the following:
- hormonal disruptions;
- unbalanced diet;
- infectious diseases;
- prolonged inflammatory processes.
Most often, bumps between the chest and ribs occur in patients during menopause. Much less often, such pathologies are diagnosed in nursing mothers. Surgical intervention is indicated only in cases of violation of the outflow of milk.
Lactostasis
This pathology is characterized by swelling and redness of the chest. The causes of the disease are a violation of the flow of milk in nursing mothers. Due to the formed cork, an accumulation of secretion inside the tissues occurs, which looks like a bump.
In order to get rid of lactostasis, it is enough to improve the regime of breastfeeding of the baby. To diagnose the problem, only a visual examination and palpation is necessary.
Fat necrosis
Education with this pathology is mobile and soft. Its appearance is due to the death of some tissues with subsequent decay. If the problem occurs near the nipple, then it is drawn into the breast.
Doctors often confuse fat necrosis with the oncological process. This is due to the fact that a biopsy with this problem is not indicative - it is impossible to take damaged cells for analysis, since instead of them there is a purulent fluid. The cause of a lump in the chest in men is often necrosis.
Necrosis often appears after a chest injury. His treatment is to completely remove the focus of the problem.
Features of calcifications
The deposition of calcium salts in the mammary gland occurs most often due to an overdose of vitamin D. The danger of this condition is that it can lead to cancer. First of all, this applies to those cases when there are many small structures visible on the mammogram in the chest.
Calcinate treatment is not indicated. When they are detected, the patient is registered with the annual observation by a doctor. This is necessary in order to timely detect the degeneration of the formation into cancer, if this happens.
Thrombosis and thrombophlebitis
In the case of inflammation of the vessel in the mammary gland, a woman develops thrombophlebitis. As a result of this, there is a blockage of the vein by a thrombus and impaired blood movement. This causes ulcers or blood poisoning to develop. In the most dangerous cases, a blood clot can come off, blocking a large artery in the body. The treatment of this problem is carried out through the use of drugs that thin the blood.
Diagnostic measures
In order to obtain the most informative data on tumors in a woman’s breast, instrumental diagnostic methods are used, such as:
- Mammography. It is an X-ray examination of breast tissue.
- Ductography. This type of examination is a mammogram done against the background of the introduction of contrast into the patient’s bloodstream.
- Ultrasound This diagnosis is carried out through the use of ultrasonic waves. This type of study helps determine if there is a lump on the rib cage.
- Biopsy. This method involves taking on the laboratory study of cell formation.
Oncology is diagnosed only 5% of women seeking help in medical institutions with any formations in the chest.
Treatment features
The main methods of treating cones found in the mammary glands include the following:
- Classic. This type of therapy involves the use of radiation with the use of hormonal drugs.
- Surgical This treatment, in turn, is an operation to remove tumors. It is carried out with some types of oncology and in cases of excessive increase in benign tumors.
- Combined. These methods of therapy combine two of the above methods - removal of cones in the chest with subsequent irradiation.
The type of treatment is determined by the doctor according to the results of the examination of the patient.
Preventative measures
The main preventive measures that help reduce the risk of cones in the chest, experts include the following:
- Early birth.
- Balanced diet.
- Periodic breast examination by a doctor.
- Lack of abortion.
- Healthy lifestyle.
First of all, women should refuse fast food. In addition, to minimize the risks of the appearance of formations in the chest, it is worth normalizing the diet to provide the body with microelements and vitamins. Doctors recommend reducing the use of fried and fatty foods. The amount of protein consumed should not exceed the daily norm by more than 20%. Up to 500 grams of fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily. Iodine deficiency needs to be compensated by seafood dishes.
Doctor's conclusion
In most cases, bumps in the chest are benign tumors that can be easily removed with conservative or minimally invasive methods. In only 1% of cases, women develop breast cancer. In order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to adhere to prevention methods and undergo annual examinations by doctors. Sometimes the doctor finds a bump on the chest in a child, it can be either a regular wen or a tumor. Only after a thorough examination does the doctor make a diagnosis.