Is it a problem if the milk ducts are widened?

The widening of the milk ducts is a relatively complicated disease. As long as female friends receive timely treatment, it can be cured. However, after treatment, the wounds will not heal and the disease will recur. It will also cause your nipples to be inverted. Therefore, for the symptoms of widened milk ducts, patients should take good postoperative care after treatment, and they can massage the breasts appropriately to reduce the accumulation of breast oil.

Plasma cell mastitis, abbreviated as plasma cell or ductitis, is also called duct ectasia, and is called comedonal mastitis in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the most common non-bacterial inflammation in the non-lactating period. Over the past few years, we have cured more than 160 cases through surgery, which shows that this disease is not uncommon. However, many people, even some surgeons, do not recognize this disease and treat it as a common small abscess. They perform repeated incisions and drainage. The wounds simply do not heal, or they become repeatedly red and swollen, spontaneously rupture, and form fistulas. Finally, the breasts become riddled with holes, the nipples become inverted, and become twisted and deformed.

According to the pathological changes and course of the disease, the clinical manifestations can be divided into three stages.

Acute phase

(1) Early stage:

The symptoms are not obvious, and there may be spontaneous or intermittent nipple discharge. Only when squeezing does the nipple discharge occur. The discharge is brown or bloody or purulent. This symptom can persist for many years.

(2) Development:

The skin within the areola is red, swollen, hot, and tender. Swollen lymph nodes and tenderness can be felt in the axilla. The whole body may experience symptoms such as chills and high fever.

This acute inflammatory symptom will subside soon.

Subacute phase

A lump develops in the areola area that is slightly painful and tender. The edge of the mass is unclear, resembling a breast abscess, and the masses vary in size. Puncture of the tumor can often extract pus. Sometimes the tumor ruptures naturally and forms a pus fistula. After an abscess ruptures or is incised, it may not heal for a long time, or new small abscesses may form again after healing, causing the inflammation to continue to develop.

Chronic phase

The duration of this stage varies, from several months to several years or longer. When the disease recurs, one or more hard nodules with unclear boundaries may appear, mostly located within the areola. They feel firm and adhere to the surrounding tissues, causing the duct to shorten and the nipple to retract. Sometimes due to local skin edema, it may appear as "orange peel-like" and in severe cases, the breast may be deformed.

Single or multiple orifice discharge may be seen, which may be serous or bloody in nature. Axillary lymph nodes may be palpable.

Related tests

The diagnosis can be confirmed by X-ray breast ductography, fine needle aspiration cytology of the tumor, and pathological examination after tumor removal.

Precautions

prevention

1. Women should have regular breast examinations every year to achieve early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.

2. Pay attention to personal hygiene, especially the hygiene of the genitals during menstruation and postpartum period. Care should be taken to keep the nipple and areola area clean, help clear secretions appropriately, and avoid wearing tight tops and bras.

3. Strengthen your physical fitness and improve your immunity: pay attention to the combination of work and rest, participate in more physical exercises, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins.

Preoperative preparation

A detailed understanding of the symptoms of the disease and related contraindications should be obtained.

Correct preoperative diagnosis of microlesions in the milk ducts can clarify the surgical indications for patients with breast diseases manifested by nipple discharge but without masses, and provide favorable conditions for distinguishing normal ducts or duct ectasia from breast cancer.

How to care

Prognosis:

Mammary duct ectasia is a benign disease with a slow course and prone to recurrence, and has no obvious relationship with breast cancer.