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Ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland
This disease is mainly detected in women aged 40 to 45 years. Ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland (or plasmacytic mastitis, ductectasia) is pathological changes in the mammary glands, which are determined by the expansion of the patency of the milk ducts, the site of which is the subareolear thoracic region.
The inner layer is usually expelled by the lipid belonging to the group of natural organic compounds consisting of fats and fat-like compounds, and detritus, which is a granular mass formed during the decay into small particles of necrotizing matter.
Causes of the ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland
Ectasia (ectasia, ectasis) is an extension of the canal. In itself, this pathology does not pose a threat to women, but it requires constant attention. With the natural functioning of the body, even during the period when it does not feed the baby, a small amount of mother's milk is still produced. Just in the course of the duct, not reaching the exit from the channel, the substance dissolves, and visually no discharge and other symptoms are observed.
Causes of ectasia of the ducts of the breast:
- The age factor that affects the structural and configuration transformation of the milk ducts, which are located in the protruding pigmented zone, localized around the nipple. Most often manifested during menopause, as well as at the initial stage of entry into the climacteric period.
- Failures in the hormonal background of the female body, which directly affects the proliferation of epithelial cells in the female breast. As a result, "clogged" the lactiferous channels with sclerotically altered epithelial cells. The most common cause of clogging is the increased production of prolactin in the body of a woman.
- Deformation of the milk ducts due to trauma.
- Inflammatory processes of various genesis.
- Cancer tumor.
Symptoms of the ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland
This pathology refers to diseases clinically well expressed, which facilitates its diagnosis. The main symptoms of ectasia of the ducts of the breast:
- At a palpation of a breast of women, mainly it concerns an age of 40-50 years, can palpate appreciable consolidations of a tissue in the area of an areola.
- From the nipple can be observed atypical discharge. The hue of the substance can be either greenish-yellow or brown, almost black, in color.
- A woman is able to feel a burning sensation and an irresistible desire to remove irritation and itching.
- The skin of the area around the areola of the nipple is hyperemic, slight puffiness, tissue tension is observed.
- The nipple, being in tension, is drawn in.
- In the chest area there is a pain symptomatology.
- Retraction (displacement) of the nipple.
Diagnostics of the ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland
By itself, ectasia does not do much harm to the body of a woman, but the discomfort that causes the symptoms of pathology does not add tranquility to her life.
Diagnosis of ectasia of the ducts of the breast does not cause great complexity and is represented in several stages:
An analysis of the patient's complaints.
- Visual examination of the breast, screening of anamnesis.
- Purpose of microscopic examination of nipple excretions.
- Seals are differentiated either as benign (polyps or papillomas in the duct) or as a malignant tumor. It allows to establish or exclude cancer excisional biopsy.
- Mammargaphy, a non-invasive technique for examining the mammary gland with the help of ionizing radiation, will help determine structural changes in the milk ducts.
- If necessary, an x-ray is prescribed.
Treatment of the ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland
The main goal of therapy is to stop the cause causing pathological changes. If the prescribed treatment is ineffective or the source is not identified, then surgical intervention is prescribed. Treatment of ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland is a local excision of the inflammatory region, in rare, especially severe cases, surgery intercepts the subareolar milk ducts, which also have to be removed.
Excision is a surgical operation, as a result of which excision of pathologically transformed sections of the functioning system is performed. In this case, epithelial tissues and subareolar canals. The excised material is necessarily sent for histological examination to differentiate the pathology to benign or cancerous growths.
Excision is usually carried out under general anesthesia, rarely using a local anesthetic. The incision passes along the natural folds of the skin formations. That the postoperative scar was not noticeable, the surgeon usually sutures the wound with atraumatic sutures.
This method of treatment is used in the absence of concomitant diseases, as well as if a woman in the future does not plan to become a mother and to feed the baby with breast milk.
Gentle therapy is a medical complex, which includes a warm compress to the chest zone, antibiotics and antibacterial drugs designed to remove inflammation.
Indomethacin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug injected into the body after eating with a starting dosage of 0.025 grams two to three times throughout the day. If the patient normally tolerates the drug and there is a medical need, the amount of indomethacin is increased to 0.1 - 0.15 g daily, divided into two or three doses. This drug refers to long-term drugs. The duration of the course of treatment is prescribed and controlled by the attending physician.
The drug is categorically contraindicated for ulcerative lesions of the mucosa of the digestive tract, in the case of bronchial asthma or increased sensitivity of the patient's body to the components of the drug. It is not recommended for use during pregnancy, and when feeding the baby with breast milk.
Cefuroxime is an antimicrobial and antiparasitic drug belonging to the group of cephalosporins. The drug is injected into the muscle or vein. The daily dosage of the drug is represented by a figure of 0.75 g. The injection is done at an interval of eight hours. If necessary, the dosage can be raised to 1.5 g, reducing the interval to six hours, and the daily amount of cefuroxime increased to 3 - 6 grams.
Do not prescribe a drug in case of individual hypersensitivity to antibiotics penicillin and / or cephalosporin series. With extreme caution to use in the period of bearing a woman's baby and feeding him with the breast.
Fusidine-sodium. The drug is prescribed inside with a three-time application in a dose of 0.5-1 g (washed down with a sufficient amount of water or milk). The drug has no special contraindications except for increased individual intolerance of constituent components, and it is also not worth taking it during pregnancy and lactation.
It will not be superfluous to include in the protocol treatment of immunomodulating drugs that support the body of a woman in the "fight" with the disease.
Immunal is prescribed for 20 drops, used with a small volume of fluid three times throughout the day. In the acute stage of the disease, the dosage can be doubled. After receiving a therapeutic response, return to the initial dosage. The duration of the course of therapy is from one to eight weeks. This parameter is determined by the attending physician.
Contraindications include, in addition to the individual intolerance of the components of the drug, tuberculosis, rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, callagens, multiple sclerosis, a tendency to allergic reactions.
Timalin is used in the form of intramuscular injections. Before the injection, the contents of the ampoule are diluted 1 - 2 ml of isotonic sodium chloride solution. The administered dosage is prescribed by the doctor individually and is in the range of 5 to 20 mg of the drug. The entire course is from 30 to 100 mg. Duration of admission from three to ten days - this parameter depends on the severity of immunity disorders.
Prevention
It is hard to argue with the statement that "it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it later." Prevention of ectasia of the ducts of the mammary gland involves actions that protect the woman's body from the effects of pathological factors capable of catalyzing the disease, which is the root cause of ectasia.
- This includes mandatory regular self-examination of the mammary glands. It is not superfluous to learn self-control from the age of 17. How unfortunate it sounds, but in recent years the pathology has visibly "grown younger"
- It is worth at least once a year to undergo examination at a mammalogist, who, if necessary, will not only examine the patient, but also send for mammography or ultrasound.
- It is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, giving up harmful habits.
- Watch your weight, because the extra pounds significantly add problems.
- Protect the chest from shock and injury.
- A woman's nutrition should be full.
- Monitor the normalization of the hormonal background, preventing it from malfunctioning.
- Be very careful in taking various medications.
- It is not necessary to launch inflammatory and infectious diseases, it is necessary to treat them on time and completely.
- To avoid the occurrence of wounds and cracks during breastfeeding, the nipples need to be prepared for this process even during the period of gestation.
- Do not forget about the sanitary and hygienic requirements for the purity of the mammary glands.
- Pay special attention to underwear. The bra should be comfortable, preferably of natural materials. He should not rub or squeeze.
- If any negative symptoms are detected, you should apply to the doctor without delay.
Forecast
The prognosis of ectasia of the mammary ducts depends to a large extent on the implementation of all preventive recommendations that allow diagnosing the disease at an early stage of its development. If a woman watches herself and her health and if there is any discomfort in the breast area, she will immediately seek help from a doctor - a mammalogist who will timely conduct adequate therapy, then we can talk about a favorable prognosis for ectasia of the mammary ducts.
If the nipple leaves a transparent or milky tint of excretion, then in the case of timely effective drug therapy you can not hesitate to predict a full recovery. If the released substance has a yellowish-green tinge or brownish tones, urgent measures of diagnostics and therapeutic therapy are necessary. In this case, a successful prediction directly depends on the factor of timely medical intervention.
The most unpleasant in terms of prognosis are cases of hemorrhagic (with blood) discharge, which is an incidental symptom of malignant pathology. In this situation, it all depends on what stage of development is cancer, its location, the extent of involved cellular structures, the presence of metastases and the extent of their spread, the possibility of surgical intervention.
The breast is an organ consisting mainly of glandular cells and its main function, laid by nature, is to produce milk and feed the newborn, but if the secretions are observed outside the lactation period, it is not worthwhile to ignore such a fact. It is especially dangerous to engage in self-diagnosis and self-medication. Timely appeal to a specialist will help to cope with the disease faster, keep your beautiful breasts intact, and in some cases it can also go about the life of a woman who at the moment can "hang in the balance."
Do not forget that you can cure everything! The positive result depends first of all on the most representative of the fair sex: how much she is attentive to her body, how early she gave the opportunity to specialists to examine herself and how much she believes in recovery. Ectasia of the ducts of the breast, effectively stopped at the very onset of progression, combined with the implementation of all the doctor's recommendations and preventive measures in everyday life - and the disease as it has not been, significantly reduces the risk of recurrence.
Love yourself and your body - and it will serve you "without failures" for many more years!
Medical expert editor
Portnov Alexey Alexandrovich
Education: Kiev National Medical University. A.A. Bogomolets, Specialty - "General Medicine"
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