What is Fat Necrosis of the Breast? Breast fat necrosis symptoms and treatment Symptoms and diagnosis of breast fat necrosis

Fat necrosis of the mammary gland is a focal necrosis of adipose tissue that occurs after various injuries. This pathology is a benign change in the tissues of the mammary gland. With various damaging factors, as a result of a violation of the integrity of small vessels, the blood supply to the tissue site stops, after which necrosis develops. Injuries can be very different, for example, an elbow during sports training or a bruise on a door frame.

Often, necrosis can occur as a result of radiation therapy and with a sharp decrease in weight. Usually, pain symptoms of fat necrosis are either absent, and changes in adipose tissue are detected only during a medical examination by traditional palpation or are painful, and a visual examination of the chest shows enlarged lymph nodes and irregularities in the form of dimples on the skin.

Fat necrosis does not degenerate into a malignant tumor, but can only simulate it. On mammography or ultrasound, fat necrosis is defined as a malignant tumor, which requires the use of a biopsy, and in some cases, a sectoral resection. Fat necrosis of the mammary gland, also called oleogranuloma, lipogranuloma and steatogranuloma, refers to non-enzymatic necrosis.

Changes in the tissue structure are characterized by the development of reactive inflammation with the formation of a demarcation zone that separates dead tissue. The subsidence of inflammation is accompanied by the process of fibrosis, i.e., the replacement of necrotic masses with connective tissue. In places of necrosis, scar tissue is formed. Possible deposits in the area of ​​fat necrosis of calcium salts, calcification of the focus of necrosis.

Symptoms and diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the breast

The development of fat necrosis is preceded by a traumatic effect on any part of the mammary gland. If the blow is strong, then a painful swelling quickly forms at the site of the injury, cyanotic or red in color, round in shape and dense in consistency. It is soldered to the skin, sensitivity is lost.

Fat necrosis entails retraction of the nipple, proceeds without an increase in body temperature. With an unfavorable development of the disease, septic fusion of the focus and the process of rejection of the necrotic site (sequestrum) from the surrounding living tissues can occur. Diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland necessarily begins with a survey of the patient, the doctor must know the nature of the traumatic effect, the timing of the development of necrosis.

The doctor-mammologist in the process of contact determination reveals the degree of density, the clarity of the contours of fat necrosis, the symptoms of the presence of fluid (pus, blood). Panoramic mammography and MRI of the mammary glands help to detect heterogeneity of the structure, stranded uneven contours.

X-ray, tomographic and echographic studies of fat necrosis often show symptoms of breast cancer. After calcification occurs, the focus of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland resembles a spherical calcification of the “eggshell” type, this circumstance completely excludes the presence of a malignant tumor. Differential diagnosis involves a biopsy of the mammary gland, i.e., a fine-needle puncture or trephine biopsy, which makes it possible for subsequent cytological and histological examination of the obtained fragments.

The biopsy is always performed under ultrasound or X-ray guidance. Treatment and prevention of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland has its own specifics and some difficulties. It is good when patients go to the doctor at the beginning of discomfort. Since focal changes in adipose tissue are irreversible, and there are also difficulties in differential diagnosis, an organ-preserving operation with the removal of a part of the mammary gland is indicated.

Repeated histological studies after surgery can completely exclude or confirm the process of cancer. Under the microscope, fat necrosis presents as nodular growths of granulation tissue from epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant phagocytic fats and lipoids, and cholesterol ester-laden macrophages around fat inclusions.

Lipogranulomas contain fatty cysts in the form of thin-walled cavities filled with oily and serous fluid. The best prevention of breast necrosis is to be careful and take care of your body parts. If, nevertheless, it was not possible to avoid injury, it is recommended to take independent first aid measures, namely, to lift the injured chest with a bandage and urgently contact a specialist.

Fat necrosis of the mammary gland is the process of focal necrosis of the adipose tissue of the breast and its subsequent replacement with scar tissue. There is fatty necrosis of the mammary gland after various injuries (accidental bruises and blows in transport or at home, during training or medical procedures). Rarely, breast fat necrosis is caused by radiation therapy or rapid weight loss. In some cases, fat necrosis of the mammary gland can form in a patient who has undergone reconstructive mammoplasty.

In all these cases, the integrity of small vessels may be disrupted, and the blood supply to this area may be interrupted. All this leads to the development of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland. The most common fat necrosis of the mammary gland occurs in women with large breasts.

Symptoms of fatty necrosis of the breast

Most often, fat necrosis of the mammary gland is preceded by some kind of trauma to the mammary gland. At the site of injury, a painless tumor of a dense consistency and rounded shape is formed. Sometimes with fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, patients complain of discomfort and pain in some areas of the mammary gland. But most often, fat necrosis of the mammary gland has unexpressed symptoms, and tumors are detected only by palpation.

With the further development of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, sensitivity may be lost in this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mammary gland. With the formation of fatty necrosis of the gland, the skin, as it were, is soldered to the tumor and acquires a red or cyanotic color. In addition, with fatty necrosis of the mammary gland in the areal area, nipple retraction may occur, which makes the patient think about the development of a tumor. External similarity with cancer to fatty necrosis of the mammary gland gives an increase in lymph nodes and the appearance of irregularities and dimples on the skin. In fact, fat necrosis of the mammary gland is a benign formation, it can only mimic a malignant tumor in the diagnosis.

After the inflammatory process in the mammary gland subsides, the process of replacing necrotic masses with connective tissue begins. As a result, at the site of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, scar tissue is formed. With the unfavorable development of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, septic fusion of the focus and rejection of the damaged area from the surrounding tissues can be observed.

Diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the breast

When diagnosing fat necrosis of the breast, it is very important that the patient report breast trauma. During an external examination of the glands, the doctor may note redness or blueness of the skin, as well as the presence of bumps and retractions on the skin. On palpation of the mammary gland, the doctor can easily determine the compaction, sometimes painful. The contours of such a seal in fatty necrosis will be fuzzy. But ultrasound of the mammary gland will not reveal the characteristic signs of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland. When diagnosing a survey mammography or MRI of the breast, it is possible to identify a nodular formation with uneven edges and a heterogeneous structure. Since the picture in breast fat necrosis resembles that in breast cancer, this will require additional research. In the future, when calcium salts are deposited on the site, and calcification of the focus occurs, fatty necrosis of the mammary gland on mammograms will look like a spherical calcification resembling an eggshell. This will allow the diagnosis to exclude the malignancy of the ongoing process in the mammary gland.

Until this happens, fat necrosis of the mammary glands requires a biopsy. A breast biopsy is performed under X-ray or ultrasound control. After that, the obtained samples must be sent for cytological and histological examination. This allows you to differentiate fat necrosis of the breast and exclude the development of cancer.

Treatment and prevention of fatty necrosis of the breast

Since fat necrosis of the mammary gland is characterized by irreversible changes in adipose tissue, drug treatment in this case will not lead to anything. In addition, it is very difficult to completely differentiate breast fat necrosis even when performing a biopsy. Therefore, sectoral resection is used as a treatment for fatty necrosis of the mammary gland. It allows you to remove only part (sector) of the breast.

Further postoperative examination of the macropreparation will completely exclude the oncological process in the breast. Microscopically, fat necrosis is a nodular growth of granulation tissue. One of the components of fatty necrosis will be fatty cysts. Under a microscope, they are thin-walled formations that are filled with an oily liquid.

Fatty necrosis of the mammary glands is a disease that is easier to prevent than to treat later. In order to prevent fat necrosis, trauma to the mammary glands should be avoided. If the injury nevertheless occurred, it is necessary to give the mammary gland an elevated position with a bandage and contact a mammologist.

You should periodically contact a specialist not only in case of injury, but also for prevention in order to avoid fatty necrosis of the mammary glands. Such examinations should become mandatory for every woman, this will allow timely detection of diseases of the mammary glands, diagnostics and elimination of oncological processes in the breast. And, of course, every woman should make an independent examination of the glands at least once a month.

Fatty necrosis of the mammary gland is the necrosis of its fatty tissue, followed by replacement with scar tissue. Such necrosis develops in the form of foci.

For this pathology, a dense painful formation, retraction of the skin and a change in its color are characteristic - such signs make one suspect the presence of a tumor process.

When fatty necrosis occurs, there is a need for a sectoral resection (removal of a section) of the mammary gland.

Table of contents:

common data

Fatty necrosis of the mammary gland belongs to a number of so-called non-enzymatic necrosis. In mammology, of all nodular formations of the mammary gland, 0.6% of all diagnosed clinical cases fall on it.

When this pathology is mentioned, the disease in women is meant. With the defeat of male representatives, the diagnosis sounds like “Fatty necrosis of the breast” (mammary glands are only in women). In men, this disease occurs very rarely - due to the scarcity of fatty tissue of the mammary glands. An exception may be gynecomastia - the development in male patients of the mammary glands according to the female type.

Mostly women of the childbearing period get sick - the age category from 25 to 35 years is mainly affected.

Pathology has other names - it is oleogranuloma, lipogranuloma and steatogranuloma.

The reasons

The occurrence of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland can provoke fundamentally different reasons - for convenience, they are divided into groups:

  • traumatic lesions;
  • rapid weight loss;
  • radiation exposure to breast tissue.

A traumatic lesion that can lead to the development of this pathology can be observed:

  • when performing medical manipulations (in this case it is also called iatrogenic);
  • outside of the healing process.

Medical manipulations, during which the integrity of breast tissue may be violated, with a subsequent risk of developing fat necrosis, can be:

  • diagnostic;
  • actually curative.

Such diagnostic manipulations include the sampling of breast tissue for examination under a microscope. She happens:

  • puncture - the skin and underlying tissues of the mammary gland are pierced, suspicious contents are sucked out with a syringe;
  • sectional - cut off a section of suspicious tissues. Most often, such a biopsy is performed during surgery on the mammary gland for cancer.

Cases have been described when a biopsy was performed in case of suspected development of breast fat necrosis, which did not confirm the diagnosis - however, fatty necrosis developed later as a result of the biopsy.

Medical manipulations that can provoke the development of the described pathology include any invasive therapeutic actions. It can be:

  • suction of purulent contents from (recently practiced very rarely as a controversial and ineffective method of treatment);
  • opening and emptying the purulent focus of this organ;
  • removal of a fragment of the mammary gland due to a particular disease - necrosis, benign or malignant tumor, tuberculous focus, and so on;
  • plastic surgery. Fat necrosis of the mammary gland can occur in women who, after a mastectomy (radical removal of the affected breast), underwent reconstructive mammoplasty (breast restoration) with their own tissues.

The development of iatrogenic fat necrosis is associated with:

  • forced intraoperative traumatization of gland tissues - for example, when removing large sections of it, stopping bleeding with the help of diathermocoagulation (“cauterization” of the destroyed walls of blood vessels with electric current);
  • gross inaccurate diagnostic or therapeutic manipulations, which is fraught with damage to the glandular tissue of the mammary gland, as well as its blood vessels and nerve endings.

Traumatic injury, not associated with medical procedures, is one of the most common causes of breast fat necrosis. According to the mechanism of development, such injuries are:

  • torn;
  • bruised;
  • bitten;
  • chipped;
  • chopped;
  • firearms.

By origin, such injuries that can lead to the development of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland are:

  • household;
  • production;
  • sports.

Domestic injuries that can lead to the occurrence of the described disease can be facts of traumatization:

  • unintentional;
  • deliberate.

The most common form of injury to the mammary gland, which can lead to fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, is:

Prolonged compression of the gland is considered to be a special type of trauma to the tissues of the mammary gland, against which its fatty necrosis may develop. Most often it occurs during disasters:

  • natural - these are soil collapses in the mountains, snow avalanches, suction in bogs, staying under fragments of buildings during earthquakes;
  • man-made - mainly collapses due to powerful industrial explosions.

Also, prolonged compression of the mammary glands can be observed in traffic accidents, when people are trapped in a vehicle before the arrival of rescuers and doctors. Basically, this type of trauma is observed during:

  • car or bus accident;
  • train wreck.

Occupational injuries of the mammary gland, contributing to the development of its fatty necrosis, are less common than domestic ones. They are mainly associated with violation of labor protection rules (falling on slippery steps that lead to the office space) or ignoring safety regulations (improper care of large farm animals that can hit the mammary gland with a hoof or horn).

Sports injuries are most often observed in women who have chosen strength sports or those that are associated with the risk of falls. It:

  • women's boxing;
  • all kinds of wrestling;
  • women's football;
  • volleyball;
  • basketball;
  • tennis;
  • running with obstacles

and others.

Rapid weight loss, against the background of which fat necrosis of the mammary gland can develop, can be observed with:

  • severe diseases and pathological conditions;
  • deliberate adherence to a strict diet aimed at quickly losing weight before any important event - a wedding, a beauty contest, sports competitions (especially of a high rank, where a certain weight is an important condition for participation).

Severe diseases and pathological conditions, against which rapid weight loss can occur, contributing to the development of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, are:

  • rapidly progressing oncological diseases (in particular, the defeat of their especially aggressive forms);
  • - an infectious lesion caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Koch's wand);
  • - a violation of the metabolism of carbohydrates, provoked by a lack of insulin in the body;
  • - intoxication (poisoning) of the body with hormones produced by its own thyroid gland;
  • gross violation of the psycho-emotional sphere;
  • insufficiency of the adrenal cortex (other names - Addison's syndrome, hypocorticism);
  • - senile dementia;
  • (Hodgkin's disease) - a malignant lesion of the lymphoid tissue;
  • any chronic intoxication in which and are regularly observed.

Radiation exposure to breast tissue, which can lead to the development of fatty necrosis, is observed in such cases as:

  • radiation therapy - in particular, the effect on malignant neoplasms of the mammary gland;
  • frequent passage of diagnostic procedures fraught with radiation exposure (, fluoroscopy and others);
  • contact with radioactive substances due to professional activity. It is fraught with pronounced radiation effects on the body in case of violation of labor protection rules or ignoring safety precautions (individual protective equipment);
  • unauthorized access to radioactive substances.

A group of factors that are not direct provocateurs of the development of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, but can contribute to the necrosis of its tissues, has also been identified. It does not mean that under the influence of such factors, the described pathology develops without fail - nevertheless, the risks should be taken into account. These are diseases and conditions such as:

  • vascular pathology - because of it, microcirculation and nutrition of mammary gland tissues are disturbed;
  • blood diseases - the consequences are the same as with vascular pathology;
  • regular wearing of tight clothing.

Development of pathology

At the heart of the maximum majority of disorders that lead to the necrosis of breast tissue and the formation of areas of fatty necrosis is a violation of blood supply and, as a result, a sharp deterioration in the nutrition of these tissues.

The mechanism of development of pathology is as follows. Damage to the capillaries (traumatic or against the background of a particular disease) leads to a sharp violation of the blood supply to a separate area of ​​fatty tissue (therefore, fatty necrosis develops in the form of foci). The body reacts to such a process with reactive inflammation - at the initial stage it is aseptic (non-infectious). The mentioned inflammation develops in the damaged area with the formation of the so-called demarcation line around it - it separates the affected tissues from healthy ones.

After some time, dead tissues disintegrate, the decay products are removed from the mammary gland with the bloodstream. If there are many or large necrotic foci in the mammary gland, an abundance of decay products can provoke the onset of an intoxication syndrome.

Since defense mechanisms are activated, inflammation stops after a while. In the location where it arose, the process of fibrosis starts - connective tissue cells begin to develop, which finally displace dead foci and form a connective tissue scar.

note

Sometimes necrotic areas do not have time to disintegrate, and calcium salts are deposited in them - foci of petrification appear (. In some cases, this process is so intense that ossification (ossification) processes are triggered - a focus is formed in the mammary gland, in its structure and physical characteristics (density) resembling a piece of bone tissue.

In adverse cases, the progression of the described pathology of the mammary gland can take place with:

  • with septic fusion of the focus;
  • sequestration - the formation of cavities in place of dead tissue.

Symptoms of fatty necrosis of the breast

Since the formation of fat necrosis is preceded by a traumatic effect, the clinical picture begins to develop even before the formation of full-fledged necrotic foci.

Symptoms of fatty necrosis of the breast are:

  • tumor formation;
  • retraction of the nipple;
  • pain syndrome;
  • signs of a violation of the general condition of the body.

A tumor-like formation appears at the site of exposure of the pathogenic factor to the breast tissue. Its characteristics:

  • in shape - round or ovoid (egg-shaped);
  • by consistency - dense, at the same time elastic;
  • by mobility - soldered to the skin, so its mobility is limited;
  • by sensitivity - painful. In the future, with the formation of fat necrosis, pain may fade, and loss of sensitivity of soft tissues may also increase. Both processes are connected with the fact that in the process of necrosis the nerve endings also become dead;
  • according to the characteristics of the integument - the skin over the tumor becomes cyanotic (bluish) or red, sometimes a combination of these two shades is possible.

Retraction of the nipple is observed if the focus of fatty necrosis is formed in the thickness of the mammary gland in the area of ​​the areola.

Characteristics of the pain syndrome:

Signs of deterioration in the general condition are associated with the ingress of necrotic elements into the bloodstream. These are the symptoms of the classic intoxication syndrome, namely:

  • deterioration in general condition, feeling unwell;
  • general weakness and lethargy;
  • worsening sleep up to;
  • deterioration of appetite, with the progression of pathology - its complete absence.

With fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, the temperature is usually normal and rises only in the presence of large foci of necrosis.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland is made on the basis of complaints, anamnesis and the results of additional examination methods.

The physical examination determines the following:

  • on examination - the affected mammary gland is enlarged, the tissues are swollen, the skin over the lesion is bluish or red;
  • on palpation (palpation) - the swelling is confirmed, the soreness of the mammary gland is also determined. In the tissues, one or more foci of compaction are determined.

note

In some cases, there may be changes similar to signs - its deformation, the formation of "dimples" on the skin, a dense infiltrate, as well as an increase in peripheral lymph nodes.

In the diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland, such research methods are used as:

  • - a set of methods that are used specifically to study the state of the mammary gland;
  • mammary gland - make tissue sampling with subsequent study under a microscope.

During a mammogram, the following are used:

  • x-ray mammography;
  • ultrasound mammography - helps to identify areas of necrosis, assess their size, quantity, as well as the condition of surrounding tissues;
  • tomosynthesis is the creation of a two-dimensional image of the mammary gland with all the changes in its tissues;
  • MRI mammography is a high-tech method for obtaining a tomographic image of the breast;
  • optical mammography - when it is carried out, optical equipment is used.

Informative in the diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland are the following laboratory research methods:


Fat necrosis of the mammary gland is a focal necrosis of adipose tissue that occurs after various injuries. This pathology is a benign change in the tissues of the mammary gland. With various damaging factors, as a result of a violation of the integrity of small vessels, the blood supply to the tissue site stops, after which necrosis develops. Injuries can be very different, for example, an elbow during sports training or a bruise on a door frame.

Often, necrosis can occur as a result of radiation therapy and with a sharp decrease in weight. Usually, pain symptoms of fat necrosis are either absent, and changes in adipose tissue are detected only during a medical examination by traditional palpation or are painful, and a visual examination of the chest shows enlarged lymph nodes and irregularities in the form of dimples on the skin.

Fat necrosis does not degenerate into a malignant tumor, but can only simulate it. On mammography or ultrasound, fat necrosis is defined as a malignant tumor, which requires the use of a biopsy, and in some cases, a sectoral resection. Fat necrosis of the mammary gland, also called oleogranuloma, lipogranuloma and steatogranuloma, refers to non-enzymatic necrosis.

Changes in the tissue structure are characterized by the development of reactive inflammation with the formation of a demarcation zone that separates dead tissue. The subsidence of inflammation is accompanied by the process of fibrosis, i.e., the replacement of necrotic masses with connective tissue. In places of necrosis, scar tissue is formed. Possible deposits in the area of ​​fat necrosis of calcium salts, calcification of the focus of necrosis.

Symptoms and diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the breast

The development of fat necrosis is preceded by a traumatic effect on any part of the mammary gland. If the blow is strong, then a painful swelling quickly forms at the site of the injury, cyanotic or red in color, round in shape and dense in consistency. It is soldered to the skin, sensitivity is lost.

Fat necrosis entails retraction of the nipple, proceeds without an increase in body temperature. With an unfavorable development of the disease, septic fusion of the focus and the process of rejection of the necrotic site (sequestrum) from the surrounding living tissues can occur. Diagnosis of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland necessarily begins with a survey of the patient, the doctor must know the nature of the traumatic effect, the timing of the development of necrosis.

The doctor-mammologist in the process of contact determination reveals the degree of density, the clarity of the contours of fat necrosis, the symptoms of the presence of fluid (pus, blood). Panoramic mammography and MRI of the mammary glands help to detect heterogeneity of the structure, stranded uneven contours.

X-ray, tomographic and echographic studies of fat necrosis often show symptoms of breast cancer. After calcification occurs, the focus of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland resembles a spherical calcification of the “eggshell” type, this circumstance completely excludes the presence of a malignant tumor. Differential diagnosis involves a biopsy of the mammary gland, i.e., a fine-needle puncture or trephine biopsy, which makes it possible for subsequent cytological and histological examination of the obtained fragments.

The biopsy is always performed under ultrasound or X-ray guidance. Treatment and prevention of fatty necrosis of the mammary gland has its own specifics and some difficulties. It is good when patients go to the doctor at the beginning of discomfort. Since focal changes in adipose tissue are irreversible, and there are also difficulties in differential diagnosis, an organ-preserving operation with the removal of a part of the mammary gland is indicated.

Repeated histological studies after surgery can completely exclude or confirm the process of cancer. Under the microscope, fat necrosis presents as nodular growths of granulation tissue from epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant phagocytic fats and lipoids, and cholesterol ester-laden macrophages around fat inclusions.

Lipogranulomas contain fatty cysts in the form of thin-walled cavities filled with oily and serous fluid. The best prevention of breast necrosis is to be careful and take care of your body parts. If, nevertheless, it was not possible to avoid injury, it is recommended to take independent first aid measures, namely, to lift the injured chest with a bandage and urgently contact a specialist.


Expert editor: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich| MD general practitioner

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. I. M. Sechenov, specialty - "Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".

The body is made up of numerous cells that work together to participate in many processes. Sometimes, for various reasons, cell death occurs. If this happens in the adipose tissue of the mammary gland, they speak of necrosis. Fat necrosis of the mammary gland is the formation of dead areas in adipose tissue and their transformation into scars or cysts.

Most often, aseptic necrosis occurs after bruises and injuries and is a benign formation. The disease has many names, one of which is steatonecrosis.

ICD-10 code - N64.1

The disease itself is not dangerous and often does not even require any treatment. All cases are considered individually and should be diagnosed in a timely manner. Only after studying the anamnesis, the doctor prescribes treatment.

The focal area is deprived of blood flow, but this does not mean that the blood supply to the mammary glands will be disturbed. Damaged capillaries cease to function, and blood flow continues through the available channels. Due to the lack of blood, dead areas are formed.

Do not hesitate, because fat necrosis can be the cause for the occurrence of more complex pathologies, for example, breast cancer.

The most common cause is damage to the mammary glands. It can be bruises, cuts, squeezing, punctures. Women with large breasts are most susceptible to necrosis, since adipose tissue occupies a significant part of the organ. The disease can occur with sudden changes in weight. When a woman loses weight incorrectly, the fat becomes thinner, and some areas do not have time to recover, which leads to necrosis. Treatment of steatonecrosis of the mammary gland depends on the nature of the changes in the structure of the organ.

The dead zone may vary in the nature of the course of the disease, size and other signs. The disease can be called oleogranuloma or steatonecrosis and happens:

  • artificial nature
  • post-traumatic nature
  • parainflammatory nature
  • incomprehensible character

The reasons

Often, necrosis of adipose tissue appears after various breast enhancement surgeries. The introduction of foreign bodies can cause the formation of necrosis. After a severe chest injury, dead areas often appear. Sometimes the force of the bruise can be minimal, but regular - this will be enough for the occurrence of pathology. For example, improperly done massage can lead to necrosis. If any inflammation is determined in the mammary gland, tissue deformation will occur. In this case, blood circulation is disturbed, and certain areas of adipose tissue may die.

Steatonecrosis can occur due to:

  • chest injuries
  • surgical intervention
  • hormonal failure
  • infectious diseases
  • weight loss
  • radiotherapy
  • injections and foreign bodies in the mammary gland

In the first couple, the process is reversible if treatment is started on time. If treatment is not followed, nodules form at the site of cell death. They harden and overgrow with connective tissue, which tries to repair damage. Thus, there is an increase in necrosis. If the affected areas continue to grow, they must be removed. A more severe and dangerous course of the disease is liponecrosis.

Necrosis can also affect superficial areas. An infrequent manifestation of necrosis is necrosis of the areola. It may be complete or partial. The disease is characterized by impaired blood supply in the area of ​​the nipple and areola, which leads to necrosis of the areas. Sometimes there is a rejection of dead cells, and the areola is separated from the rest of the tissue. Most often, areolar necrosis occurs due to improperly performed breast surgery. When improving the body, women often go under the knife to look better. An example is mammoplasty - changing the shape of the breast. However, the consequences can be corrected throughout life. With complete necrosis, there is also necrosis of the nipple. After the diagnosis is made, surgery is necessary.

Symptoms of necrosis

Symptoms of fatty necrosis of the breast can be different. Depending on the type of disease, the symptom may manifest as pain. In this case, the patient may not suspect the presence of the disease. This course of the disease is characterized by an indefinite cause of occurrence.

If the manifestation of the disease appeared after a bruise, the affected area will hurt for a long time. You can see deformity and asymmetrical breasts. At first, the pain area may increase in size. The skin is thickened, bumpiness can be detected to the touch. Another sign is that the affected area is often warmer than the surrounding tissue. Indentations may appear at the site of the lesion. If this happens at the site of the areola of the nipple, the nipple is often retracted inward. When the adipose tissue dies off, the place loses sensitivity, and the skin becomes reddish. Discharge from the nipple is noted.

Symptoms may not show obvious signs of illness. Lymph nodes can often be enlarged, but the general condition of the body remains normal. Body temperature does not rise. Necrosis usually develops gradually, it is characterized by slow dynamics. The affected area of ​​the skin fuses with nearby tissues. A feature of severe cases is that the dead area is not destroyed. The process of rejection begins and sepsis may occur. The entire cavity is filled with pus, with prolonged stages, ulcers and cracks appear.

Diagnosis of the disease

If necrosis is suspected, it is necessary to identify the nature of the disease and the size of the affected area. For this, the following studies are assigned:

  • mammography
  • x-ray
  • tomography

The complex of research results shows blurred contours, heterogeneous structure, calcifications or oncology. If it is necessary to study the tissues of the affected area, the sampling is carried out using a biopsy. Histological examination is performed by trepanobiopsy or fine needle puncture. A biopsy is needed to rule out breast cancer.

Based on the results, the specialist prescribes the most optimal treatment. An important role is played by the duration of necrosis and its size.

Treatment and prevention

The main treatment for breast fat necrosis is surgery. In some cases, when it comes to minor injuries, surgery is not required - treatment can only be medical. It is prescribed when the affected area is minimal, does not increase in size, and the tissues can recover.

In other cases, especially when there are difficulties in an accurate diagnosis, a sectoral resection of the mammary gland is performed. The surgeon decides to operate only on the dead area, preserving adjacent tissues. The sample taken is sent for re-histological examination to check for oncology.

If the affected area is very large, the only remedy is the complete removal of the organ. After the operation, a rehabilitation course is prescribed. It consists in drug treatment: anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, painkillers and other drugs. Physiotherapy will have a good therapeutic effect.

No folk method can get rid of the disease. It is necessary to resort only to traditional medicine.

As a preventive measure, it is recommended to undergo examinations more often and be treated by a doctor. Self-examination can also become a good habit. Even minor anxieties in the thoracic region may indicate incipient problems that need to be treated on time. What is hidden from the eyes will be shown by diagnostic studies. It is necessary to be careful with the sensitive organ, to avoid injuries and bruises that can lead to necrosis. If the mammary gland has already been operated on before, the risk of necrosis is significantly increased. To avoid this, you need to follow the recommendations of the doctor and do not treat your health carelessly.

Timely access to a specialist and high-quality treatment gives a good result. If the disease has no complications, the prognosis for a cure is positive.

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