Breast cyst
A breast cyst is a cavity formation, the contents of which are, as a rule, a light liquid. The walls of this formation are connective tissue. With the help of palpation (probing), a breast cyst can be defined as a formation having an average density, weak mobility relative to the breast itself. It has a smooth surface and in most cases is painless. Also, the cyst can have different sizes and the number of formations.
The content of the article:
Symptoms of a breast cyst
Diagnosis of breast cyst
Complication of a breast cyst
Treatment of breast cysts
Breast cyst
Symptoms of a breast cyst
If a large cyst can be determined by palpation, then a woman may not guess about small formations for a long time. Such cysts can be determined after a detailed examination by a mammologist. Often, the appearance of such formations causes pulling pains, which are most active during the premenstrual period. This is due to the fact that at this time the volume of breast tissue increases in women, which presses on the cyst.
In cases when the cyst becomes inflamed, there is an increase in body temperature, an increase in the lymph nodes located under the armpits, the mammary gland turns red. The huge size of the cyst also affects the color of the skin. In the beginning, it turns red, and after a while it may start to turn blue.
It is very difficult to notice the presence of even a large cyst by the appearance of the skin in the place above its formation. The skin does not deform in such places.
In advanced cases, the skin over the cyst may retract or even deform the nipple. Sometimes the formation of a cyst is accompanied by discharge from the nipple, which indicates a puncture of the capsule, however, all these are very rare cases.
Diagnosis of breast cyst
The presence of a large cyst is determined by palpation, however, it is worth confirming the diagnosis by ultrasound analysis and mammography — radiography of the breast. This process provides information about the number of cyst formations, their sizes and shapes. For a detailed study of this disease, as well as to identify the nature of its walls, the presence of internal formations, ultrasound of the mammary glands is used. It is also possible to conduct an MRI of the breast. To detect a cyst with papillomatous masses formed near the walls, an aspiration biopsy using an ultrasound sensor and pneumocystography is required. This study will allow for a more detailed analysis of the capsule walls.
The material, which is obtained using a fine needle aspiration biopsy, is sent for histological examination, where its cellular composition is studied.
Aspirate (fluid inside the formation) of cysts that do not have a complication, as a rule, without cells, or they are present in very small quantities, which is a minor deviation. If a large number of epithelial cells are visible in the aspirate, then this may indicate the formation of a tumor in the cystic cavity. The internal fluid of a dark brown shade (“chocolate”) indicates an existing intra-flow papilloma or breast cancer.
Even by the nature of the aspirate, a conclusion is made about the presence of inflammation in the cyst.
The determination of a breast cyst requires a careful examination of the hormonal status of the patient, and it is also important to consult a gynecologist.
Complication of a breast cyst
By itself, a breast cyst does not pose a particular threat to life, and does not entail a noticeable decrease in the level of quality of life, of course, if it does not have a specifically large size. Problems begin when inflammation, infection and suppuration of the cyst appear. Noticeable discomfort also brings the formation of a cyst of gigantic size. This phenomenon negatively affects the mammary gland, deforms it, which eventually brings noticeable discomfort.
Very rarely, but still there are cases when a cyst degenerates into cancer. By the way, the presence of fibrocystic mastopathy in a woman will increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
Treatment of breast cysts
In the case when a woman has a breast cyst, she needs to be examined for hormonal status, to be examined by a gynecologist. It is strictly forbidden to self-medicate.
The mammary gland should not be touched once again. It is important to try not to give the breast bruises, not to injure the mammary gland, for example, with underwear. It is necessary to treat the skin above the cyst extremely carefully. The exception is when a woman has undergone childbirth and there is milk in her breast at the moment. In such cases, massaging is necessary to avoid stagnation.
As a rule, the cyst does not resolve on its own. There are cases, but this happens extremely rarely. That is why you should not ignore it and it is important to start treating it immediately as soon as you find it. Small cysts are treated conservatively, but if the size is 1.5 cm or more, a puncture is prescribed with the removal of the contents, after which air or ozone is injected into the cavity in order to smooth the walls. This procedure will help to establish a diagnosis and prevent a relapse.
It is important to remember that only a doctor should prescribe the treatment of a breast cyst, having the results of a thorough diagnosis or after surgery. Basically, various dietary supplements, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicines or herbal preparations are prescribed for treatment. Especially popular are preparations made from seaweed, which contain iodide compounds. Dietary supplements with broccoli or cauliflower extract are popular. There are quite a lot of different bouquets of herbs, specially selected so as to have a positive effect on the liver and metabolic processes, as well as increase resistance to stress. Regarding compresses at the very beginning of inflammatory processes, the best absorbant, decongestant and anti-inflammatory will be cabbage leaf together with alcoholic compresses. It is important not to forget — this is used only after diagnosis and appointment by a doctor.
It is unacceptable to treat this disease independently, due to the fact that without establishing a correct diagnosis, identifying any formations, as well as determining what kind of character it has, namely benign or malignant, it is forbidden to experiment on one’s own health. The number of oncological diseases has increased markedly in recent years, what is benign today can turn into an oncological process tomorrow, and self-medication can contribute to the acceleration of this procedure and lead to the saddest outcome. In the case when the cyst begins to grow, with the use of ultrasound, the cyst is treated by drainage, namely with a fine needle puncture, at the same time the capsule is punctured and the internal fluid is removed with the introduction of air or ozone into the cavity after that. This method is used exclusively in cases with a single-chamber cyst, without malignant processes and existing papillomas. After a woman undergoes such treatment, she needs to be shown to a mammologist every six months to prevent a possible relapse.
Simple cysts, as a rule, do not require surgical interventions, however, if there is an overgrowth at the walls of the cyst capsule, then a puncture is needed to exclude oncology. In the case when benign new formations are detected, the cyst together with the neoplasms is removed for 30 minutes by vacuum biopsy under local anesthesia. However, in the case when this is a malignant formation, then this is a completely different situation and the woman is referred for cancer treatment. When repeated puncture of the cyst with the introduction of air or ozone does not bring results, the capsule continues to recur, and there are no malignant cells, only then the cyst is surgically removed.
