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Lymphoma of the breast
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Lymphoma of the breast refers to benign neoplasms. Nevertheless, any woman confuses and causes fear of an accidentally discovered incomprehensible mobile "lump" in the chest. And in any case it is necessary to apply for specialized medical care - to the doctor-mammologist, because without examination it is impossible to correctly determine the nature of the tumor and get rid of it. In fact, until today there is no consensus on the ability of the lipoma of the breast to malignant transformation.
Moreover, there are also many differences in the etiology of this disease.
[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]
Causes of the breast lipomas
Some domestic doctors still believe that the causes of breast lipoma are identical to the etiology of any fibro-cystic mastopathy, that is, directly related to the monthly hormonal cycles in women of childbearing age. Others argue that to date, data on the causes of lipoma formation need clarification.
But breast lipomas most often appear in women after menopause (that is, when all the hormonal cycles have passed). According to recent studies, this is due to the so-called menopausal metabolic syndrome - a change in metabolism with natural age-related functional extinction of the ovaries. As a result, the structure of the tissues of the mammary glands changes: the volume of glandular tissue decreases, and its place is occupied by fatty tissues and connective (fibrous) tissues.
However, it should be borne in mind that lipomas are found in younger women, and in men and even in children. And here you need to remember about fatty tissue, because breast lipomas are mesenchymal tumors consisting of mature fatty tissue (in translation from Greek Lipos - fat). In fact, this is a collection of fat, encapsulated by fibrous tissue. And these "fat capsules" can appear not only in the mammary glands, but also in the visceral organs, under the skin, in the muscle tissues of the trunk and extremities.
Lymphoma of the breast, like any lipoma, is formed in the process of abnormal growth and division of its own fat cells around the conglomerate of which a fibrous capsule is formed. Therefore, this pathology should not be considered as a purely female disease, but as a local manifestation or a particular case of lipomatosis - the pathological deposition of fat in cells and tissues and the formation of compact neoplasms from them.
In the list of causes of lipomatosis, there are violations of fat metabolism (obesity), heredity (defect of the HMG IC gene), impaired function of the pituitary, pancreatic or thyroid gland. And that is not all.
The adipose tissue itself, consisting of adipocytes and fibroblasts, does not just accumulate in the body: it participates in many metabolic and neurohormonal processes. Adipocytes fat cells produce hormones - adiponectin, resistin, and also the hormone of saturation leptin (regulating appetite by affecting the hypothalamus). With a deficiency of this hormone, the activity of the thyroid and sex glands decreases and the activity of the adrenal cortex increases. With an increased level of leptin, opposite processes occur, but in both cases, the endocrine system is malfunctioning. So, the more fatty tissues in the body, the higher the likelihood of a mammary gland lipoma.
[13]
Symptoms of the breast lipomas
Symptoms of breast lipoma for a long time do not show themselves, as this education is growing very slowly and for a long time. And if the tumor was formed in the depth of the mammary gland, then there are no signs of its existence at all. Its presence is discovered by chance: by the woman herself, either by X-ray examination or ultrasound.
Lymphoma of the breast, as a rule, is solitary, the typical place of its localization is the subcutaneous tissues of the upper outer quarter of one or both mammary glands.
Tumors have a rounded shape, to the touch - soft and elastic, with respect to surrounding tissues - are detached and mobile. And in most clinical cases - completely painless. Many small breast lipomas are about 1 cm in diameter, but tumors can form up to 5 cm or more. There are even giant tumors - more than 12 cm in diameter weighing 0.5 kg.
If there is a lot of fibrous tissue in this tumor, then the lipoma will be more dense, and in the diagnosis this formation will be defined as a fibrolipoma.
Where does it hurt?
Diagnostics of the breast lipomas
The diagnosis of breast lipoma is established on the basis of: examination and palpation of the mammary glands by a mammologist; mammography; Ultrasound, as well as performing puncture of the tumor by puncture or aspiration biopsy followed by histological examination of the resulting biological material.
The last diagnostic procedure is mandatory, because, according to doctors, both mammography and ultrasound can not always distinguish lipoma from liposarcoma and cancer (in particular, the rare Peier form of breast cancer).
A histopathological examination of the breast tumor usually shows the presence of mature fat cells (adipocytes) inside the formation, separated by the fibrovascular septum. If there are no atypical nuclei in the cells of adipocytes, as well as other transformations, one can be sure of the benign nature of the neoplasm.
Breast lipomas in the picture with mammography (chest x-ray) look like X-ray gray areas, surrounded by a well-defined radiocontrast capsule.
Lipoma of the breast on ultrasound reveals an education that has clear, even outlines. Typical echographic indicators of the tumor can be completely isoechoic compared to surrounding tissues (ie, return normal amplitude waves), but more often - hyperechoic. The latter indicates that ultrasonic waves have collided with tissues of increased density, which happens when they are exposed to calcified zones of organs, to bone and fat formations.
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Treatment of the breast lipomas
Medicamental therapy of this pathology of the mammary glands is still absent. Here the method is radical - removal ... But this is an extreme measure, and it is rarely resorted to.
So, when the mammary gland is small, does not produce abnormal cells, does not worsen the state of health, does not cause discomfort, it is not touched, as they say, but observed (with periodic examinations of the doctor and ultrasound).
Another thing is when the tumor becomes large and leads to a significant asymmetry of the mammary glands, turning into a defect in appearance. Or if the tumor restricts movement or begins to cause pain by squeezing healthy breast tissue. Or suddenly it accelerates growth, which immediately raises doubts about its good quality.
Removal of breast lipoma can be performed by sectoral breast resection, tumor enucleation, excision biopsy (puncture or aspiration). In the latter case, everything that is inside the tumor is removed through the fine needle inserted into it. Remains a trace, as from a nyxis, without a single scar. However, in this way it is impossible to take an empty "capsule" out of the chest, and it can fill up with time.
Therefore, more modern and effective methods for removing breast lipomas - radio wave and laser - are used. As a result of a painless and bloodless procedure that lasts no more than half an hour, the tumor disappears.
More information of the treatment
Prevention
The main and, alas, the only item of measures for the prevention of breast lipoma is proper nutrition, in which its quality and quantity will not adversely affect the synthesis of hormones in the body and disrupt their natural balance.
It should be remembered that fats and animal proteins increase the level of estrogens in blood plasma. And their own "fat stores" do not bring benefits.
So, the less fatty tissues in the body, the lower the likelihood of a tumor.
But the prognosis of the breast lipoma is very optimistic: this "fat" in the breast is rarely subjected to malignant transformation and is not associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
[16],