Mammary hematoma

A hematoma of the mammary gland requires special attention, because hemorrhage into a limited tissue space can provoke a rather “bad” pathology.

Hematoma – this unusual word hides a “common” bruise, which everyone is well aware of from early childhood. But you shouldn’t be so careless about its appearance (regardless of whether you remember where you got it or not).

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Causes breast hematomas

Hemorrhage in the human body can occur for various reasons, but the result is most often the same - a blow, and as a consequence, a hematoma. Therefore, voicing the causes of a hematoma of the mammary gland, we can come to the conclusion that it is:

• Bruise of any origin. Accumulation of blood in a limited area cannot lead to tumor neoplasms. If at the moment of impact only small vessels were damaged, in this case bleeding stops on its own, and the components are partially absorbed, and partially degenerate into cellular neoplasms of connective tissue. But it is worth remembering that blood is an excellent nutrient medium for the vital activity and reproduction of pathogenic flora. Therefore, after a bruise, it is necessary to be especially careful not to allow infection into your body. After all, if pathogenic flora gets into the blood capsule localized in the mammary gland area, suppuration may begin and an abscess may develop. This is already a reason to seek advice and examination from a mammologist.

Nature has designed the structure of the mammary gland in such a way that it is quite "shock-resistant" and in case of a hematoma is able to recover in a short period of time. But it also has a "weak spot" - the nipple or areola. If it is damaged, a woman can get a real pain shock.

• Open wounds of the mammary gland are quite rare, but still occur: household injuries, consequences of injection. In this case, it is necessary to prevent infection from entering the wound channel. This is what makes hematomas dangerous. Hostile microorganisms are capable of forcing the inflammatory process, provoking the emergence and progression of purulent infiltrates. It is this path of pathological development that is the greatest danger. After all, it is the inflammatory process that can disrupt the normal functioning of the mammary gland, leading its cells to degeneration, or even to a tumor neoplasm.

However, it is believed that the real danger comes from large-area hemorrhages that result from damage to a significant number of vessels.

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Symptoms breast hematomas

Every person is familiar with a bruise since childhood and it is quite problematic to confuse it with something else. But it is still worth voicing the symptoms of a hematoma of the mammary gland.

• Usually after a blow, deep or subcutaneous hemorrhages can be observed - this is damage to the capillaries, and the blood mass has spilled into the tissue area. In this case, the hematoma has acquired clear outlines. Gradually, the cells begin to regenerate, the bruise loses its saturation and gradually dissolves. But there are situations when necrotic wounds form at the site of the hematoma. In addition, if an infection gets into the spilled blood, it can cause a rapid inflammatory process, suppuration, and in the worst case, an abscess of the mammary gland.
• After a bruise, a woman may feel pain and swelling in the area of the blow. These symptoms of a mammary gland hematoma can bother its owner for a long time.
• If the injury affected the milk ducts, then discharge from the nipples can be observed, both as a clear liquid and as ichor.
• At the site of the bruise, a local compaction can be observed, which usually does not degenerate into cancerous neoplasms, but bruises can become a provoking criterion, the unambiguous role of which in the formation of a malignant tumor has not yet been fully studied.
• If blood cells degenerate into tissue compounds or necrotic fat cells form a scar, such development of pathology can lead to deformation of the breast shape.
• But the most important visual symptom, of course, is the change in skin color, which changes as a result of hemorrhage.

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Forms

Hematoma after breast puncture

Any complications after this procedure are quite rare. One of such rare cases may be swelling or hematoma after breast puncture. But this hemorrhage does not have any serious consequences. Pathological changes are possible only if the basic rules of antisepsis were violated, the second reason for the complications that arose can be called a drop in the patient's immune status. To minimize such complications, it is necessary to stop taking aspirin and drugs belonging to the anticoagulant group about a week before the biopsy, which will improve the level of coagulation.

If the rules for performing a biopsy were violated during the procedure and the patient jerked involuntarily, in this case there is a possibility of injuring the chest walls and lungs, which can provoke the development of pneumothorax (the process of air penetration into the pleural area). In practice, a puncture biopsy of the mammary gland is a fairly harmless procedure with minor trauma.

After the biopsy, the ichor will continue to come out of the injection wound for some time. This is absolutely normal and does not require any medical intervention. The hematoma after a breast puncture can be reduced at home, without seeking medical help. A cryo compress or ointments with a special resorption effect, which can be bought at any pharmacy, will help here. If infection has occurred (sharp pain is felt in the area of the mammary gland, hyperemia of the skin, temperature reaction of the body), it is necessary to take adequate measures as quickly as possible. But they should be prescribed only by a mammologist, in extreme cases, an obstetrician-gynecologist. It is quite possible to avoid unpleasant consequences of the procedure, you just need to follow simple rules of antisepsis.

At the same time, puncture is the most informative method for determining the nature of a neoplasm, which can give a positive or negative answer regarding the cancerous nature of the cells. It is on this basis that the correct diagnosis is made and effective therapy is prescribed.

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Diagnostics breast hematomas

In order to detect an emerging deviation as early as possible, including hemorrhage, a woman should master simple techniques for self-examination of her mammary glands. This method comes down to sequential palpation of all areas of the gland and both armpits. The purpose of the manipulations is to verify the presence or absence of seals and neoplasms. Self-examination is one of the most important methods of examining a woman's mammary glands.

It is advisable to conduct a self-examination regularly, at least once a month. The most informative period is the time immediately before the "start" of menstruation or almost immediately after its end. Self-diagnosis of a hematoma of the mammary gland consists of the sequential implementation of some points.

1. You need to stand in front of a mirror.
2. Bring your right hand over the top and behind your back.
3. We feel the breast with the fingers of the left hand. We start from the armpit and gradually approach the nipple in a spiral.
4. Having examined the entire surface of the mammary gland of the right breast, we move on to diagnosing the left and perform the same manipulations.

If your fingers feel any abnormality: a foreign nodule or lump, a venous abnormality, skin deformation or nipple retraction – such findings should be a reason to immediately consult a mammologist. He will re-examine the patient and prescribe additional examination. Both the doctor and the woman herself should be especially alerted by discharge from the nipple (this may be a symptom of cancerous development of the neoplasm).

After palpating the mammary gland, the mammologist sends the woman for additional examination. Usually, this is an ultrasound examination of the woman's mammary glands and mammography. With the help of modern equipment, the hematoma can be quite clearly observed on the computer screen, and other neoplasms are also perfectly diagnosed.

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Treatment breast hematomas

If a woman has received a breast contusion, first aid must be provided immediately on the spot. The breast must be immediately fixed using a compression bandage. The damaged mammary gland must be immobilized in an elevated position. The second step, which involves treating a mammary gland hematoma, is applying cold to the site of the contusion. The compress, using ice, must be kept for about half an hour. Such a simple technique will make it possible to stop further bleeding, since under the influence of cold, the capillary vessels narrow. The pain will also be dulled.

It is worth noting that the "ice" compress on the chest should not be kept constantly. To prevent tissue hypothermia, the ice is removed from the mammary gland every five minutes and after a short break is applied again. If the blow fell on the nipple, the woman can experience pain shock, but even in the case of another localization of the bruise, pain symptoms can still bother the victim. In this case, the doctor mainly prescribes a retromammary block. In this case, it is used as a method of local anesthesia. The procedure itself consists of several stages:

• Three sites are selected on the mammary gland: the lower extremity, the upper and the lateral outer area. A 0.5% solution of novocaine is drawn into a syringe and administered subcutaneously.
• Then a long needle is carefully inserted into the retromammary space and 50 ml of novocaine (0.25% solution) is injected into each of the three zones.
• During the administration of the drug, the doctor or nurse performing the procedure should not feel resistance from the patient's body.
• After the injection is complete, remove the needle. A test for the correct procedure is that no medicine should leak from the hole left by the injection. The woman's breasts should rise slightly and lie as if on a water cushion.

After novocaine therapy, the pain should subside and the growth of the mammary gland hematoma should stop. Only then will it be possible to begin conservative treatment.

• The attending physician may prescribe warming with ultrasonic frequencies (UHF dry heat).
• Apply troxevasin or heparin ointment to the bruised area, rubbing it in with soft, smooth movements.

Troxevasin ointment. This medicine can be applied only to intact skin epithelium. If there are ulcers, scratches or cracks on the surface, this is already a contraindication to the use of this medicine. If there is no damage to the skin, then traxevasin is applied to the site of the bruise in a thin layer and gently massaged, rubbed in. This procedure is carried out twice a day: immediately after sleep in the morning and shortly before going to bed. The duration of the course of therapy is strictly individual and is adjusted by the attending physician depending on the effect obtained.

Troxevasin ointment should not be used if the patient is prone to allergic reactions, as well as has hypersensitivity to the components of the drug. Its use is not recommended during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy.

If there is a risk of bacterial infection or for preventive purposes, antibacterial therapy is often administered.

Clabax is a medicine administered orally to the patient. The capsule is administered with food. It should not be chewed, breaking the integrity of the shell. The daily amount of the drug is divided into two approaches, spaced at equal intervals. The doctor prescribes the regimen, dosage and duration of treatment strictly individually for each patient. In case of moderate damage, adults and adolescents are prescribed one tablet of Clabax 250 twice a day. In case of severe damage, two tablets of Clabax 250 or, respectively, one capsule of Clabax 500 are taken twice a day. This drug is not prescribed if the patient's body does not tolerate clarithromycin or other macrolide drugs. It must be used with sufficient caution in cases where the patient has a history of renal and hepatic insufficiency.

Doxycycline. On the first day of therapy, the drug is administered at a dosage of 0.2 g per day. On the second day, the dosage can be reduced to 0.1 - 0.2 g. In this case, the frequency of administration is allowed from one to two times. The duration of the treatment course is determined by the doctor individually depending on the clinical picture and the patient's condition. Do not take doxycycline in case of hypersensitivity to tetracyclines, fungal diseases, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

If the hemorrhage is not stopped and the hematoma is gaining more and more volume, there is a need for surgical intervention or puncturing. Doctors evaluate biopsy both as an informational diagnostic method and as a therapeutic therapy. Surgical sectoral excision is also performed in cases where a false cyst begins to form at the site of the bruise. If the hematoma has suppurated, it is necessary to resort to antibiotics.

Bactroban. The ointment is applied to the affected area three times a day. Duration of treatment is up to ten days. Bactroban is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance of the patient's body to this drug, during pregnancy and lactation. And also in case of renal dysfunction.

In case of hematoma of the mammary gland, folk medicine methods are used quite actively, which are quite effective in this case.

• Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water and apply tampons soaked in the resulting solution as a compress.
• Rub in a mixture of grape seed extract and northern pine extract using gentle massaging movements.
• A compress made from sponge is also suitable. In this case, the powder of the preparation is diluted with water to the consistency of thick sour cream.
• You can also try poultices made from a paste obtained by diluting potato starch.
• Cabbage has also proven itself well. Its leaves are slightly crushed and applied to the sore spot. The compress should be changed every hour.
• A good help would also be an infusion or decoction of St. John's wort, which should be drunk and applied as a poultice to the bruise.

Prevention

Every person really understands that any pathology is much easier to prevent than to resort to medical therapy later. Therefore, prevention of breast hematoma is a very important step to protect your health.

• When conducting an examination, it is necessary to pay attention to the blood clotting rate.
• You should also pay close attention to the medications you take, as some of them significantly affect the blood coagulation system.
• Surgical intervention should be avoided during the period when a woman is menstruating. Several days immediately before the onset of menstruation are also “dangerous.” It is at this time that the physiological decrease in the level of coagulation occurs.
• In everyday life, it is worth avoiding situations that can lead to any injury, and in particular, to a bruise of the mammary gland.
• If a woman suffers from hypertension, it would be a good idea to constantly monitor her blood pressure.
• Wearing comfortable, high-quality underwear, preferably made from natural materials.
• It is worth monitoring the quality level of the immune system of a woman's body.

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Forecast

If the bruise is not aggravated by pain shock and complications such as abscesses and pustules, then the prognosis for a mammary gland hematoma is quite favorable. Over time, the hematoma resolves on its own or with the help of a qualified specialist, leaving no trace behind. If a purulent process has begun, then the result of therapy largely depends on time - how early the patient sought help from a doctor.

Problems of breast pathology in women have recently firmly moved to the "advanced positions" and in order not to aggravate an already difficult situation, it is necessary to pay more attention to your health. Do not brush off the problem if a hematoma of the mammary gland was found on the chest. The pathology may be insignificant and resolve itself in a few days, but if there is a fairly extensive hemorrhage that causes discomfort accompanied by pain, you should immediately consult a mammologist, especially if transparent or bloody discharge appears from the nipple. After all, these manifestations can be symptoms of a more serious disease. For example, cancer can manifest itself in this way. Therefore, it is better to play it safe by contacting a doctor than to waste time and treat the disease at a later date.

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