Mammary Dysplasia - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Introduction

Mammary dysplasia, also known as fibrocystic disease, mainly occurs in women between 30 and 50 years or during childbearing. The condition is primarily benign but can also increase cancer risk in some cases. Breast dysplasias that are non-cancerous do not require any treatment and can go away independently. However, lumps or cysts in the breast are common in women at some point in their life caused by hormonal changes. Mammary dysplasia can affect all genders, and in males, it can cause gynecomastia (enlarged or swollen breast). The condition mainly occurs due to a family history of benign mammary dysplasia, hormonal imbalance in a person, or hormonal replacement therapy use.

What Are the Causes of Mammary Dysplasia?

Mammary dysplasia is caused due to the following reasons:

• Formation of the scar tissues due to breast injury.

• Changes in the tissues of the breast.

• Hormonal changes are caused during pregnancy, menstruation, or menopause.

• Infections of the breast.

• Dysplasia is caused by hormone replacement therapy and certain medications such as birth control pills.

• Beverages containing caffeine.

• Iodine deficiency.

• Lactation deficiency.

What Are the Symptoms of Mammary Dysplasia?

The symptoms caused by mammary dysplasia include:

• Swelling in the breast.

• Breast discomfort.

• Irregular lumps in the breast.

• Discharge from the nipples.

• Skin thickening.

• Redness of the skin around the breast.

• Pain in the breast.

What Are the Types of Mammary Dysplasia?

The various types of mammary dysplasia are as follows:

• Hyperplasia- The condition is caused due to the enlargement of the cells of mammary glands or ducts. The atypical hyperplasia does not cause cancer but can make you prone to breast cancer. It does not require any treatment, but the doctor may suggest surgically removing the affected breast tissues to minimize the cancer risk.

• Breast Cysts- Breast lumps or cysts are filled with fluid and thus appear soft, lumpy, or tender and are usually non-cancerous. The breast cysts may not require any treatment and sometimes can disappear independently.

• Fibroadenomas- This type of mammary cell dysplasia is also prevalent in women (age 15 to 35 years), and it is a solid non-cancerous tumor of the breast. Fibroadenomas do not make you prone to cancer and do not require any treatment.

• Intraductal Papilloma- These appear as small growth inside the duct of the mammary gland near the nipples. The condition can cause a cancer risk if there are more than five papillomas in the breast of women aged 30 to 50. The state leads to a discharge from the nipples, and the doctor can treat the condition with surgical methods.

• Fibrocystic Breast Changes- This occurs mainly before the menstruation period due to the hormonal imbalance in the body. As a result, the breast appears tender, lumpy, and dense, especially in women between 30 to 50 years old but does not require any treatment.

• Breast Fat Necrosis- In this condition, the breast lumps are formed due to the replacement of breast tissues with scar tissue because of the trauma caused by radiation therapy, injury, or surgery. Breast fat necrosis does not increase cancer- risk does not require any treatment.

• Mammary Duct Ectasia- This breast condition is mainly caused due to menopause or postmenopause in women. The nipples appear inverted, and nipple discharge occurs due to the blockage of the inflamed ducts.

How Is Mammary Dysplasia Diagnosed?

Mammary dysplasia can be diagnosed in the following ways:

• Mammograms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound imaging can detect mammary dysplasia.

• A biopsy is also done to diagnose dysplasia of the breast. These include aspirational biopsy, needle breast biopsy, or fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

• The cancer cells can also be diagnosed by laboratory testing of nipple discharge.

What Are the Treatment Options for Mammary Dysplasia?

Mammary dysplasias do not require any treatment most of the time as the condition subsides on its own. However, a doctor can recommend a treatment for benign cancer conditions that can cause cancer risk or if a person has atypical hyperplasia. For example, a person having discomfort or pain in the breast and are prone to cancer risk can be treated in the following ways:

• Antibiotics can be given for oral ingestion to treat breast infections.

• Cysts filled with fluid are drained with the fine-needle aspiration method.

• The surgical procedure removes infected breast tissues or breast lumps and cysts.

• Vitamin E and iodine supplementation can be given to a person to treat breast dysplasia conditions.

How Can We Prevent Mammary Dysplasia?

Mammary dysplasia can is prevented in the following ways:

• Quit smoking.

• A person should consume alcohol in moderation.

• Eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy body weight.

• Regular exercise can also prevent mammary dysplasia.

• Post-menopausal therapy should be used in limited ways.

• Prolonged breastfeeding can also prevent breast cancer.

• Finally, avoid the use of hormonal birth control pills.

What Are the Risk Factors Responsible for Mammary Dysplasias and Cancer?

The factors that can cause mammary dysplasia are as follows:

• Radiation exposure during any phase of life increases the risk of breast cancer.

• Females are more at risk of developing cancers than men.

• A family history of breast cancer also increases the risk for a person.

• Obesity or excessive fat accumulation also causes breast cancer.

• Menstruation at younger age and menopause at a much older age can increase the risk of cancer.

Conclusion

Mammary dysplasia is a non-cancerous condition that is usually not life-threatening but may potentially develop cancerous breast conditions in later life. Breast lumps or cysts develop due to fluctuations in the hormone levels in the body and various other reasons. A healthcare provider recommends treatment for only those conditions that can cause a severe threat. However, no treatment is required for these benign dysplasias of the beast as they usually disappear after some time. If a person has any symptoms or lumps in the breast, one must consult the doctor immediately to rule out the cause and get timely medical intervention. Also, a person should avoid lifestyle habits and take preventive measures to prevent fatal conditions.