What do nipple nodules look like?

There are many types of nipple nodules, including breast nodules caused by breast hyperplasia and breast tumors. The different causes of breast nodules have different treatments and coping methods. Therefore, for female friends, they should pay more attention to these common sense when caring for their breasts, and do some breast health examinations regularly so that they can actively treat the disease when it is discovered.

1. Classification

1. Breast nodules caused by breast hyperplasia

Multiple, unilateral or bilateral, mostly in the upper quadrant. The size and texture often change cyclically with menstruation. The nodules become larger and harder before menstruation, and shrink and become softer after menstruation. During the examination, breast nodules can be felt that are irregular in size, with unclear boundaries with surrounding tissues, often tender, without adhesion to the skin and deep tissues, and able to move; breast pain is often seen in unilateral or bilateral breasts, with pain or tenderness. The duration of the disease varies, and most patients have symptoms of cyclical pain, which occurs or worsens before menstruation and eases or disappears after menstruation.

2. Breast nodules caused by breast tumors

Benign tumors can be single or multiple, and are more common in women of childbearing age. When palpated, the nodules are generally firm, with clear boundaries and good mobility. Malignant tumors are generally single, and are more common in middle-aged and elderly women. When palpated, the nodules are generally hard, with unclear boundaries and poor mobility.

2. Inspection

1. Breast palpation

2. Mammography

Round or irregular nodules can be seen on breast mammography films. Benign nodules generally have clear boundaries and regular shapes, while malignant nodules generally have unclear boundaries and irregular shapes, with visible burrs or lobes. Sometimes an "edema zone" can be seen outside the nodule, which is better for showing clustered calcifications within the lesions.

3. Color Doppler Ultrasound

It can clearly display smaller lesions in breast tissue and more completely characterize and locate the lumps. Deep nodules that doctors cannot palpate can often be detected; the capsule echo can be detected, mostly showing low or medium echoes; the echo of benign tumors is uniform, while the echo of malignant tumors is generally uneven, and the blood flow distribution can be displayed.

4. Histopathological examination

The nodule can be diagnosed histologically by core needle biopsy or excisional biopsy to determine the nature of the nodule. For inaccessible lesions, positioning can be performed under the guidance of molybdenum-palladium or B-ultrasound. ,