Cellular mastitis

Plasma cell mastitis is a chronic inflammation of breast cells caused by bacteria. It is mainly caused by the accumulation and retention of various substances, which causes the expansion of the mammary ducts and the appearance of serous secretions around them. It often occurs in middle-aged women. For women, plasma cell mastitis will cause lumps or even redness and swelling in the breasts, causing local pain in the breasts. When touching the breasts, the lumps can be clearly felt.

Plasma cell mastitis, also known as duct ectasia, is a chronic non-bacterial inflammation of the breast. It refers to various reasons that cause stagnation of secretions in the mammary duct lumen, mammary duct dilatation, aseptic inflammation and lumps around the ducts, acne-like or serous discharge from the nipple, and a large number of lymphocyte infiltration can be found in the lesions. It is more common in non-lactating women aged 30 to 40.

Causes

1. Since most patients have no obvious triggering factors, some scholars believe that the disease may be an autoimmune disease.

2. Lactation disorders, breast trauma, breast degeneration and endocrine hormone secretion disorders can cause poor mammary duct drainage, blockage, and secretion stagnation.

3. Abnormal hormone stimulation can cause abnormal secretion in the mammary duct epithelium and significant dilation of the duct.

Clinical manifestations

1. Local pain and discomfort in the breast, and a lump can be felt.

2. The lump is located around the areola or extends to a certain quadrant and is tough or hard. The surface is nodular, with unclear boundaries and no adhesion to the chest wall. The lump has varying degrees of redness, swelling, heat, and pain, and the systemic inflammatory reaction is mild. During anti-infection treatment, the lump may shrink or expand.

3. The ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes are enlarged, soft, and tender, and may shrink or disappear as the disease progresses.

4. The disease recurs repeatedly, gradually forming scars and causing nipples to retract.

5. A small number of patients have bloody or watery nipple discharge.

examine

1. Breast ultrasound

Patients with the disease for the first time should undergo ultrasound examination. Some patients may need to be given experimental anti-inflammatory treatment before a diagnosis can be made.

2. Breast infrared scan

The areola area appears as irregular gray or dark gray shading.

3. Lactational ductography

There are different degrees of cystic, fusiform and columnar dilatation signs in the catheter.

4. Mammography

The glandular density increases and is uneven, with interspersed translucent areas in the form of strips, honeycombs, or cysts. Since X-ray images lack specificity, they need to be combined with clinical features to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

5. Breast puncture cytology or surgical biopsy

For patients with lump formation and symptoms similar to breast cancer, most require puncture or surgical biopsy for differentiation.