What is Fibroadenosis?
Fibroadenosis (Fibrocystic breast disease ) is a benign growth abnormality of the breast, causing lumpiness and tenderness. It is hormone related and occurs between the menarche (onset of menstruation) and in pre-menopausal women.
Symptoms and Signs
- Most common from 30-50 years
- Pain, tenderness and swelling
- Increased symptoms at pre- menstrual
- Usually settles after the period
- Fluctuation in the size of the mass
- Nodular feel with possible obvious lump
- Affects one or both breasts
- Most cysts appear 5 years before the menopause
Complications
If the lump is left in place and carefully watched, it may need to be removed at a later time if it changes, grows, or doesn’t go away.
They rarely changes to cancer.
Treatment
- Mammography if diffuse lumpiness over 40 years of age
- Needle biopsy and cytology if obvious lump
- Needle aspiration and cytology of obvious cysts
- If you have breast pain, there are a number of things that you can do to ease your symptoms. These are listed below.
Using warm baths, heating pads, or ice packs to help to ease pain.
Wearing a well-fitting support bra to minimise movement, and relieve breast discomfort.
Massaging your breasts using massage oil, or diluted essential oils. Painkilling gels and lotions can help reduce breast pain, but may cause itching, redness, and blistering in some people. However, they should not be used if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Analgesics that are prescribed by trained health personal.
Surgery to remove undiagnosed lumps.
Prevention
The Ministry of Health recommend that women be aware of their breast and check their breasts regularly by doing breast self examination (BSE).
If you do notice a lump, you should have it checked by trained health provider at nearby clinics.
Regular breast screening is very important as it will allow any small changes to be detected before you have any other signs or symptoms.
All women over 40 years of age who are at risk of breast cancer are invited for a mammogram. You can contact the nearest clinic for the clinical examination and test needed.
Rehabilitation / Prognosis
The prognosis is excellent. It is a generally self-limiting condition that carries no increase risk of subsequent malignancy and for which reassurance is the only treatment.
| Last Reviewed | : | 28 August 2020 |
| Writer | : | Dr. Norizzati Bukhary bt. Ismail Bukhary |
| Accreditor | : | Dr. Rohana Ahmad |
| Reviewer | : | Dr. Nazhatussima bt. Suhaili |
