Mastopathy is a pathological change in breast tissue, expressed in the appearance in the glandular structure of an organ of connective tissue, cystic formations, proliferation of cells in the ducts and lobules. Depending on the prevalence of pathological components, the final diagnosis depends.
Mastopathy is a common disease. It is present in one form or another in 30-70% of women of reproductive age. A decisive role in the formation of cystic-fibrous mastopathy is played by dishormonal disorders that occur in a woman’s body at different periods of her life. Any changes in the ratio of hormones cause dysplastic processes in the tissues of the mammary glands.
Risk factors
Genetic predisposition. Breast cancer in maternal blood relatives increases the likelihood of oncological changes in the mammary gland by 4-5 times.
Early onset of menstruation and late menopause.
Lack of pregnancy or late pregnancy in women older than 35 years.
Both short breastfeeding for less than one month and long lactation for more than a year increase the likelihood of breast pathologies.
Artificial abortion. With three or more abortions, the likelihood of mastopathy increases by 7 times. Abortion suspends the processes of preparation of the mammary glands for lactation, reverse involution occurs in the glandular tissue, which proceeds unevenly, which is often accompanied by the formation of pathological changes.
Gynecological diseases in which structural and functional disorders occur in the entire chain of hormones that regulate the reproductive function of the genital organs.
Disorders of the menstrual cycle: lack of ovulation, lack of luteal phase, changes in the quantity and quality of menstrual flow (oligomenorrhea, metrorrhagia). This symptomatology indicates a pathology in the neuroendocrine system.
Uncontrolled intake of estrogen-containing products.
Negative environmental factors, occupational hazards, smoking, alcohol abuse, drug addiction.
Diffuse fibrotic mastopathy
Characteristic for this form of mastopathy is the dispersion of small fibrous lesions throughout the structure of the mammary glands.
In the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, the corpus luteum actively produces progesterone, the function of which is to prepare the mammary glands for lactation. The glandular tissue swells, grows in size. If conception does not occur, when a new menstrual cycle begins, estrogens begin to prevail, which return the iron to its original state. Due to hormonal imbalance in the glandular tissue, fibrous tissue builds up, forming knots and cords that prevent cells from assuming their previous volumes. The glands lose their ability to function normally.
Symptoms
Before and during menstruation, a woman begins to experience discomfort in the area of the mammary glands. Aching or stitching pain appears as a result of compression of the nerve endings in the lobules of the mammary gland overgrown with fibrous tissue. In addition to pain, there are feelings of fullness, a feeling of heaviness.
The engorgement of the mammary glands is explained by edema, which compresses the blood vessels. Due to the difficult outflow of blood through the veins, they expand, a venous pattern appears on the skin of the mammary glands.
Isolation of colostrum-like fluid from the nipples. This is due to the increased production of prolactin, which is normally responsible for the production of milk. During hyperproduction of prolactin with pressure on the paralosal zone, a yellowish or white liquid is released from the nipple. In advanced cases, the secret acquires a greenish or brown tint.
Most often, a woman herself finds in the chest areas of compaction, which in the initial stages disappear after the onset of menstruation, and with a long-term existence of the disease persist.
In a woman with diffuse fibrotic mastopathy, premenstrual syndrome is pronouncedm:
• Migraine-like headaches.
• At the peak of a severe headache, nausea, vomiting occurs.
• The appearance of pasty face and swelling of the extremities.
• Bloating, increased flatulence.
• Changes in the psycho-emotional sphere: tearfulness, irritability, aggressiveness.
• Due to puffiness, which compresses blood vessels, the blood supply to the breast is disturbed. The skin becomes pale in color, and the halo, on the contrary, darkens. Cracks appear on the nipples.
Diffuse mastopathy with cystic components
The clinical picture with this type of mastopathy largely coincides with diffuse fibrotic mastopathy, but there are some differences: the density and elasticity of breast tissue changes, cystic formations appear in it, and the volume of the gland decreases.
The appearance of discharge from the nipples that is not associated with pregnancy, lactation or inflammation of the gland. The presence of blood impurities in the secreted secretion is interpreted in favor of the malignant process.
In addition to the main symptoms of mastopathy, there are other signs of pathological changes: obesity, metabolic syndrome, infertility, polycystic ovaries.
Mixed form
The disease is observed in young women under 35 years old.
In the initial stage of the disease, a woman feels only slight discomfort. But if the hormonal background does not stabilize, the number of pathological formations increases, severe swelling increases with increasing temperature and redness of the skin in the area of local inflammation.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis is based on the patient’s complaints, medical history, physical examination data (examination, palpation), breast ultrasound results (indicated for women under 40), mammography (after 40 years). If there is a suspicion of an oncological process, puncture of suspicious sites with a cytological examination is performed.
Women often do not pay attention to the symptoms of mastopathy. But it should be remembered that if the disease is not treated, it can transform into a malignant neoplasm.
