Fatty necrosis of the breast
Fatty necrosis of the breast is a necrosis of the adipose tissue of the female breast, localized in a certain area. Necrosis refers to benign changes, but requires mandatory research and treatment.
WHY DOES FAT NECROSIS APPEAR
The main cause of necrosis is mechanical damage to the breast. A woman can get a chest injury from a blow in transport, with a bruise on a door jamb, during training, etc. The result of the injury is damage to small vessels, which disrupts blood supply and provokes tissue necrosis. In addition, fat necrosis can be a side effect of radiation therapy.
SYMPTOMS OF BREAST FAT NECROSIS
Fat necrosis manifests itself in the form of a breast tumor, which can be detected by palpation. It is worth noting that in most cases, the seal does not bring any painful sensations to the woman. If you feel chest pain throughout the entire time, during certain periods of the cycle or directly during a breast examination, be sure to inform your doctor about it, since painful sensations are most often a symptom of mastitis or mastopathy.
WHAT IS THE DANGER OF FAT NECROSIS
The main danger of breast fat necrosis lies in its ability to simulate cancer. Mammography and ultrasound examination very often mistakenly reveal a malignant neoplasm instead of fat necrosis. However, each such result requires a thorough check by biopsy.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF FAT NECROSIS
Fat necrosis, like any other seal in the female breast, is usually determined by palpation. After that, as a rule, additional clinical studies are prescribed, which should help determine the nature of the formation: mammography (X–ray examination of the breast), ultrasound, if necessary, biopsy (sampling of cells and tissues for histological examination necessary to exclude the oncological nature of the disease).
Treatment is a surgical operation to remove the focus of necrosis.
HOW IS THE OPERATION PERFORMED TO REMOVE FAT NECROSIS
The operation is performed by the method of sectoral resection, without complete removal of the breast. On average, 1/8 to 1/6 of the breast volume is subject to removal, so the operation is considered organ-preserving.
The decision on the expediency of surgical intervention is made by the doctor in each case individually, based on the overall picture and characteristics of the patient’s body. In some cases, a biopsy is performed directly during surgery. If the need to remove necrosis is questionable, histological examination can be carried out without an incision – by puncture biopsy under the control of X-ray or ultrasound.
The operation is performed under local anesthesia, so the doctor should pay attention to the psychological state of the patient. The pain medication is selected individually. In case of complaints of painful sensations, additional anesthesia is performed.
In most cases, it is possible to apply a cosmetic suture, which improves the aesthetic characteristics of the breast after surgery and for many patients is an additional factor that reduces the stress response.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A LUMP IN YOUR CHEST
If you yourself found a lump in your chest or found out about its existence at a doctor’s appointment, you must first try to calm down. In the minds of most people, any neoplasm is associated with cancerous tumors, but this diagnosis is not always confirmed.
With timely detection and adequate treatment, even certain types of oncological diseases (including breast cancer) can be cured, not to mention fatty necrosis of the breast.
Your task is to find a specialist whose opinion you will trust. Do not miss the annual mammologist examinations, regularly conduct an independent examination (palpation) of the breast, but do not engage in self-diagnosis and treatment.
This information is provided for informational purposes, only a doctor can accurately determine the nature of the seal.
