Are breast cysts serious?

In fact, everyone is familiar with cysts. Cysts can appear on many organs and tissues. So, are breast cysts serious? In fact, this needs to be judged based on the size of the cyst. If the cyst is large, it needs to be removed, but if the cyst is small, then you just need to go to the hospital for regular check-ups to control the cyst from growing bigger. But for breastfeeding women, there will be some impact.

Breast cysts are divided into simple cysts (also known as cystic breast hyperplasia) and milk cysts. Both are benign lesions, covered by a thin layer of epithelial tissue, with the cystic contents mostly liquid, and appearing as anechoic nodules on B-ultrasound. Simple breast cysts are benign lesions mainly caused by ovarian dysfunction. Breast cysts are caused by ovarian dysfunction, decreased progesterone secretion, and increased estrogen secretion in the body, which leads to hyperplasia and shedding of the breast epithelium, causing the mammary lobules, tubules and terminal mammary ducts to become highly dilated and cystic. Clinically, simple breast cysts can be self-limited, and the lesions can stop after 3 years or more, but sometimes they can continue and eventually lead to cancer, but the chance is very small.

Clinical manifestations

1. Simple cyst

Simple cysts are the most common breast cysts, mainly due to endocrine disorders causing ductal epithelial hyperplasia and an increase in cells in the ducts, which causes the ducts to extend, tortuosity, and fold. The duct walls at the folds become necrotic due to ischemia, forming cysts.

Simple breast cysts are common in middle-aged women, with round or oval breast lumps as the main symptoms. The cysts can be single or multiple. In single cases, the tumor often grows rapidly and can be easily confused with breast cancer. The cyst often changes with the menstrual cycle and is accompanied by premenstrual breast pain. To confirm the diagnosis, mammography, ultrasound and needle aspiration cytology can be performed. If multiple punctures are ineffective, or if cytological or histological examinations confirm epithelial hyperplasia or papilloma, surgical treatment is appropriate.

2. Breast cyst

Galactocele, also known as milk retention cyst, is less common than simple cyst. It is mainly caused by blockage of a duct during lactation, which causes milk stasis and forms a cyst. Milk cysts can be found in any part of the breast, and are most common deep in the breast, often occurring during pregnancy or lactation or after lactation.

The main clinical symptom of milk cyst is breast lumps, which are mostly round or oval, with a smooth surface, a cystic feel, clear boundaries, high mobility, and no adhesion to the skin. In case of secondary infection, local inflammatory reactions such as redness, swelling, heat and pain may be seen, and enlarged lymph nodes may be felt in the ipsilateral axilla. If the cyst is large, the patient has a long history of illness, or has recurrent infections, surgical removal of the cyst is recommended.