Fibroadenomatosis of the breast

Dystrophic changes in the mammary gland, which can occur in both women and men, are called fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland.

Sometimes the term cystic mastopathy, adenofibrosis, fibromatosis, Reclus disease is applied to this disease. Fibroadenomatosis is characterized by the appearance of multiple small nodules, slightly mobile in relation to the surrounding tissues.

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Causes mammary fibroadenomatosis

The underlying cause of fibroadenomatosis is considered to be an imbalance of the hormonal system in the body. This occurs in the following cases:

• stressful situations – mental instability, psycho-emotional breakdowns are a factor contributing to the development of many diseases, including mastopathy. Especially if a person is in a stressful state constantly or for a long time, this affects the activity of the endocrine glands;
• sexual problems – the practice of interrupted sexual intercourse, irregular sex or lack of a regular sexual partner, unsatisfied sexual needs;
• concomitant gynecological diseases and artificial abortions, including medical ones - the health of the reproductive system also includes the normal production of hormones necessary for the body (progesterone and estradiol). Disorders of the functional capacity of the ovaries, provoked by inflammatory processes of the reproductive organs, menstrual cycle disorders lead to hormonal imbalance;
• refusal or early termination of breastfeeding of the baby - provokes stagnation in the mammary glands. If there are no problems with the amount of milk, breastfeeding should be practiced for at least a year after the birth of the child;
• thyroid pathologies – a deficiency or excess of thyroid hormones also affects the balance of sex hormones.

Liver diseases can also be included in this list – this organ is involved in removing hormone breakdown products from the body. Their untimely or incomplete removal also provokes instability of hormonal levels.

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Symptoms mammary fibroadenomatosis

Clinical signs of fibroadenomatosis may include:

• frequently recurring stabbing pains, especially before the onset of menstruation;
• a feeling of pressure and burning pain in the mammary gland;
• discharge from the milk ducts, both spontaneous and appearing when the nipple is squeezed;
• sometimes the lymph nodes in the armpit area become enlarged;
• the mammary gland swells and becomes dense.

The pain tends to intensify after nervous or physical overexertion.

Fibroadenomatosis can occur in various forms:

• Diffuse fibroadenomatosis of the mammary glands is a disseminated form of the disease, when pathological foci are widespread, located everywhere on one or two glands. Palpation reveals multiple nodules, characterized by heterogeneous granular painful seals.
• Localized fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland is the presence of seals in the mammary gland that have a denser structure than with adenosis or masoplasia. Sometimes patients note pain during palpation. The edges of the nodular formations are defined relatively clearly, the skin above them is compacted, and is an uneven tubercle.
• focal fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland is a benign process characterized by focal replacement of glandular tissue with fibrous tissue, manifested by the appearance of focal seals in the mammary gland. Pain is not felt in all cases of the disease.
• Cystic fibroadenomatosis of the mammary glands is a form of fibroadenomatosis in which multiple and multi-chambered cyst-like formations are found. These cysts are homogeneous, clearly defined seals with smoothed contours. Cysts can be located singly or in groups.
• fibrous fibroadenomatosis of the mammary glands - compactions in the mammary gland with a predominance of fibrous tissue proliferation. As a rule, this condition develops as a result of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, when epithelial cells acquire the phenotypic capabilities of a mesenchymal cell. Most often, this occurs after an injury or an infectious-allergic process.
• nodular fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland - this form of the disease is characterized by the appearance of localized small seals, with the greatest sensation of pain in the area of nodular tissue growth. Nodular fibroadenomatosis usually occurs against the background or as a consequence of diffuse fibroadenomatosis.

Associated symptoms of all forms of the disease include menstrual dysfunction, mental and emotional instability, problems with conceiving and carrying a child, and deterioration of the condition of nails, hair, and skin.

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Diagnostics mammary fibroadenomatosis

Breast examinations can be standard, special and additional.

Standard examination methods include:

• Mammography (in two projections) is one of the most informative and widespread diagnostic methods. The possibility of high magnification and high resolution of the image allows detecting even the most minor pathological deviations;
• ultrasound examination (breast ultrasound).

Special diagnostic methods include:

• aspiration biopsy method – taking the necessary material for cellular examination (cytology);
• Trukat biopsy method – taking material for tissue examination (histology);
• stereotactic biopsy – taking material from non-palpable tumors;
• Ductography – examination of the milk ducts of the glands.

Such special types of examinations are used mainly to differentiate seals when their malignancy is suspected.

Additional diagnostic methods that may be prescribed include:

• thermography – an imprint of tissue temperature on a picture (in healthy tissue the temperature will be lower);
• chest x-ray;
• magnetic resonance or computed tomography;
• examination of lymph nodes;
• laboratory tests, including hormone levels.

A complete diagnosis of the disease allows for a more successful and complete treatment plan.

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Treatment mammary fibroadenomatosis

The main principles of fibroadenomatosis therapy are the following:

• stabilization of hormonal levels in the body;
• symptomatic treatment and restoration of damaged glandular tissue.

To determine the necessary treatment regimen, it is necessary to establish and eliminate the cause of the pathology, as well as balance the functioning of the hormonal system.

The selection of treatment is carried out depending on the patient’s age category, stage of the disease, metabolic characteristics and hormonal development, and the presence of any other related pathologies in the body.

Currently, therapy for this disease involves the use of hormonal drugs, homeopathic remedies, vitamins, antidepressants, and adaptogens. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed to relieve pain, but this is done for a short period.

Treatment of diffuse fibroadenomatosis of the mammary glands is carried out using the following medications:

• drugs that affect the function of the thyroid gland (depending on the disorder of this function – hyper- or hypothyroidism);
• antiestrogens (fareston, toremifene, tamoxifen);
• androgenic drugs – suppressing the production of gonadotropic hormones (danazol);
• antiprolactin agents – suppressing the production of prolactin (bromocriptine);
• drugs analogous to neurohormones (hypothalamic releasing hormone);
• contraceptive drugs that regulate the menstrual cycle (Zhanin, Non-Ovlon, Tri-Regol);
• progesterone preparations (progestogel, utrozhestan, duphaston, crinone);
• vitamin preparations to improve metabolic processes and functional capacity of the liver;
• drugs that facilitate liver function (Essentiale, Chofitol, Artichoke, Carsil, Gepabene);
• homeopathic remedies.

In addition to drug treatment for fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland, the patient must adhere to a certain diet: give up coffee drinks and strong black tea, chocolate, alcohol and smoking.

In cases where conservative treatment is ineffective, surgical intervention may be prescribed. It is a sectoral resection of the mammary gland with subsequent histological analysis of the materials taken. Such an operation can be performed using both general and local anesthesia. The size and complexity of the operation are determined by the form of the disease, as well as the duration and neglect of the process.

In the postoperative period, due to possible pain and discomfort, painkillers (ketanov, analgin preparations) may be prescribed.

Treatment of fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland with folk remedies

In the treatment of the disease, traditional medicine is often used, which helps to normalize metabolism, stabilize hormone levels, activate the body's defenses, and calm the nervous system.

Nature has created many different plants whose action resembles a hormonal effect. However, unlike medicines, plant components do not contribute to the development of side effects. Such plants include corn silk, valerian root, birch buds, rose hips, currant leaves, nettle, burdock root.

For local treatment, fresh cabbage or burdock leaves are often used, applied to the affected breast.

The medicinal action of plants should be aimed at eliminating the cause of fibroadenomatosis. Therefore, the greatest effect is provided by herbal mixtures, where each component acts in a complex, mutually complementing each other: - grind 200 g of fresh burdock root, mix with the same amount of natural honey, 200 g of castor oil and the juice of four lemons. The resulting gruel should be laid out on a clean cloth and used as a compress at night. Store the product in the refrigerator. The duration of treatment is about 2 weeks;

• take equal parts of yeast dough, unsalted butter, egg yolk, mix. Lubricate pieces of cloth with the mixture and apply to the affected area of the mammary gland. Take this treatment for a month;
• warm unrefined sunflower oil (1 tablespoon) should be mixed with 40 drops of veterinary antiseptic ASD-3. Use the resulting mixture as a compress. If during the treatment period there is discomfort at the site of the compress, it is necessary to endure as long as possible: after 3-4 procedures the painful sensations will disappear;
• Bake an onion head, remove the top layers, and grind the rest into a pulp. Add a tablespoon of tar. Apply the mixture to a cloth and apply to the seals, change the compress every 9-10 hours;
• grate half a glass of carrots, add half a glass of beet juice, a tablespoon of dry golden root ground in a coffee grinder and four tablespoons of sea buckthorn oil (or any other). Make compresses, changing them every 5 hours. The duration of such treatment is about two weeks;
• grind into a powder a tablespoon of caraway, a tablespoon of anise, 2 tablespoons of dried potato blossoms, 2 tablespoons of lemon balm. Add 3 teaspoons of St. John's wort oil and half a glass of dark flour to the powder. Knead a flat cake, adding boiling water instead of liquid. Apply such a flat cake to the place of compaction and do not remove it for 5 hours. Then replace the flat cake with another;
• apply a warm, soft part of a pumpkin (peeled of seeds) to the mammary gland;
• Mix 100 g of fresh unsalted butter with a crushed head of garlic. Apply the ointment to the affected area of the chest and bandage;
• mix equal parts of valerian root, caraway and dill seeds, mint leaves and chamomile flowers. Brew two full tablespoons of the mixture in 0.5 l of boiling water, leave for half an hour and take half a glass three times a day before meals;
• grind ficus leaves in a meat grinder, mix with honey to taste. Use one tablespoon before each meal, and simultaneously apply as a compress to the area of the seals. Duration of use is one week, then after 2 weeks repeat again.

The use of herbal preparations in the treatment of fibroadenomatosis can be combined with other therapeutic agents, but before starting treatment, be sure to consult a doctor.

Prevention

The main methods of preventing fibroadenomatosis:

• healthy nutrition and lifestyle – avoid chest injuries, drink iodized water, eat a balanced diet, eat enough vegetables and fruits, avoid psycho-emotional overload, strengthen the immune system;
• the right choice of underwear - you need to choose a bra not only for its beauty, but also for its comfort of wearing. The bra should not rub, press on the chest, or deform it;
• preventive examination - a woman should periodically examine and feel her breasts for lumps or painful areas. It would not be a bad idea to visit a mammologist once a year for a preventive ultrasound;
• breastfeeding – the risk of developing fibroadenomatosis increases if a woman stops breastfeeding earlier than three months after giving birth. The ideal feeding period is 1-1.5 years;
• artificial abortions – performing an artificial termination of pregnancy provokes a sharp decline in hormonal activity, which subsequently contributes to hormonal imbalance and increases the risk of developing fibroadenomatosis;
• full sexual life – regular sexual life improves hormonal balance and serves as a preventative measure against congestion in the pelvis.

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Forecast

The prognosis for fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland is favorable. Timely qualified therapy usually leads to complete recovery. Having discovered the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor: the earlier the pathology is diagnosed, the more successful the treatment.

Fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland is a disease that can be easily treated if the process is not neglected.

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