What are the symptoms of breast disease?

Many women of childbearing age who are breastfeeding will feel discomfort in their breasts, and occasionally swelling and pain. Some people suspect that it is a growth or hyperplasia. In fact, most of them are caused by excess milk accumulation. Due to excessive milk secretion and unscientific feeding, milk accumulates in the breasts and slowly forms milk cysts. So how to prevent and treat this disease? Let’s take a look:

Galactostasia is also called milk retention cyst or milk stasis. It is a benign disease in pregnant and lactating women. This disease was believed to be relatively rare in the past, but has been reported from time to time in China in recent years. This disease is caused by the blockage of a lobule or duct of the breast during lactation, which leads to poor milk discharge and retention in the duct, causing it to expand and form a cyst. It manifests as a lump in the breast, which is often mistaken for a benign breast tumor (fibroadenoma) and occasionally misdiagnosed as a malignant breast tumor, so attention should be paid.

Causes

There are many causes of milk cysts, and the failure to eliminate milk accumulation is the main cause.

Pathogenesis

If you have suffered from breast hyperplasia during lactation, inflammation or tumor compression may cause blockage of the duct of one lobe or lobule of the breast, causing milk to accumulate in the duct. It may also be due to poor breastfeeding habits (not breastfeeding on time, milk not emptying), causing milk to stagnate in the duct, causing the duct to expand and form cysts. Because the milk retained in the cyst contains a large amount of sugar, fat and protein, it is the best culture medium for bacteria. If bacteria invade, it may cause secondary infection, leading to acute mastitis or breast abscess. If there is no bacterial invasion and infection, cysts can exist in the breast for a long time. symptom

Clinical symptoms

1. General symptoms: The onset of the disease often occurs during lactation or pregnancy, especially after weaning. There may be a history of acute or chronic inflammation, trauma or surgery, and the onset site is often where breast inflammation, trauma or surgery has occurred. 2. Special symptoms:

Related parts of the cyst

(1) Pain: Most patients experience mild distension and pain. If accompanied by secondary infection, local skin redness and tenderness may occur. The ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes are often enlarged and tender. (2) Lump: The breast lump is round in shape, smooth and movable in surface, cystic in feel, with clear border and no tenderness, and the diameter is usually between 2 and 5 cm. It will shrink on its own after you stop breastfeeding or after massage. Large lumps feel cystic and elastic to the touch. Tumors smaller than 2 cm are not obviously cystic. When the contents of the cyst become thicker, the elasticity disappears, the hardness increases and becomes more solid, which can easily be misdiagnosed as breast cancer.

Related tests

A puncture fluid examination can be performed, and the fluid in the cyst can be found to be milky or cheesy. X-ray shows a clear-cut cyst shadow.

diagnosis

It is not difficult to diagnose this disease based on medical history and physical signs combined with relevant examination results.

examine

The following tests can be performed to confirm the diagnosis: 1. Needle aspiration cytology examination of the tumor: (1) Specific operation: A large amount of milky fluid can be extracted in the early stage. The lump can often shrink after puncture and suction of milk, but it will not disappear completely. If it is difficult to suck out the contents of the cyst, it may be because the water in the cyst has been absorbed and the contents have become thick. In this case, a thicker needle can be used for suction, and a cheese-like substance can often be obtained, which can confirm the diagnosis. (2) Inspection results:

Milk cyst on the left breast X-ray

Smear examination of the aspirate revealed fat droplets of varying sizes, a large number of swollen and degenerated foam cells, ductal epithelial cells, and a few scattered glandular epithelial cells. If degenerated neutrophils are seen, it often indicates the possibility of secondary infection. 2. Molybdenum target X-ray: Most cysts are round or oval translucent areas, mostly located outside the areola area, close to the edge of the breast. 3. Type B ultrasound examination: In the reflected wave of the breast, a typical, clearly defined fluid flat segment or fluid dark area appears at the location corresponding to the cyst, with obvious reflections in and out of the cyst wall before and after the fluid level. Through the longitudinal and transverse sonograms of the center of the cyst, the three diameters of the cyst can be measured to understand the size and range of the cyst. The distance between the two cyst wall reflections represents the anterior-posterior diameter of the cyst. 4. Histopathological examination: Leukocyte infiltration can be seen. Identification

Treatment of milk cysts with traditional Chinese medicine

TCM treatment methods

Traditional Chinese medicine taken orally and applied externally, combined with acupuncture treatment, has a certain effect on milk cysts. 1. Liver depression and qi stagnation type: 1. Treatment principles: mainly soothing the liver, regulating qi and dispersing stagnation. 2. Prescription: 15g each of Hu, Bai Shao, Bai Zhu, 12g each of Dang Gui and Tian Kui Zi, 15g each of Fu Ling and Bing Qiu Zi, 30g each of Raw Crataegus and Lithospermum officinale. 2. Qi stagnation and blood stasis type: 1. Treatment principle: mainly regulating Qi, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. 2. Prescription: Bupleurum, red peony root, Chuanxiong, Zedoaria (each) 9g, Angelica, peach kernel (each) 12g, Poria, Curcuma (each) 15g, Safflower 6g.

Western medicine treatment of milk cyst

Commonly used treatments for breast cysts include Western medicine treatment, surgical treatment, etc. Patients can choose appropriate treatment methods according to their actual conditions. The main treatment for galactocysts is surgery. For women who are no longer fertile, puncture and fluid extraction can be performed to avoid surgical removal. 1. Non-surgical treatment: 1. Puncture and fluid extraction: During needle aspiration cytology examination of the tumor, if milky fluid is aspirated, the milk in the cyst should be aspirated out at one time. When the milk is sucked out, the cyst will shrink and the remaining cyst cavity will be bandaged with pressure. In a few cases, the cyst can be cured after one sucking. If the cyst recurs and multiple punctures are ineffective, surgery may be considered. In most cases, surgery is not necessary. 2. Surgical treatment: Simple cyst removal. If the cyst is repeatedly infected or continues to grow larger, simple cyst removal can be performed under local anesthesia. This disease is a benign lesion and simple cyst removal is sufficient without the need for breast removal. If accompanied by acute inflammation, anti-inflammatory treatment should be given first and then surgery. If you are breastfeeding, you can wait until your milk is healed before surgery. complication

After reading the above, doesn’t breast cyst seem very scary? , it can be cured. In addition, scientific feeding, regular check-ups, early detection and early treatment, eating more crude fiber foods, vegetables and fruits, a reasonable diet, increased exercise, and improving one's own immunity. Keep a good attitude and a happy mood, and this disease will stay away from us. I wish all mothers good health!