I found a painful lump right by my right nipple, my nipple is also inverted so decided to go to my doc to have this checked out, he was also concerened after the exam and sent me for an ulterasound and mammogram stat... I'm adding the results to this message..History. 34 year old female. Pain, swelling, warmth right breast periareolar region. Inversion of the right nipple. Apparently, findings are fairly acute. By history the patient has a 5 month old child although she is not breast feeding. Also note that the patient is due for standard mommography, anyway.Findings: MammogramThere is moderately dense tissue. On mammogram there is an ill defined area of increased density in the right retroareolar region measuring about 4 cm across. This is new compared to the previous exam. There are no other focal findings in the right or left breast on mammorgraphy. There are no malignant calcifications. There is no abnormal adenopathy.Findings: UltrasoundUltrasound of the right breast shows diffuse interstitial edema especially in the retroareolar region extending out latterally. Within this there is a more focal hypoechric area measuring 2.1 x 1.5 x 2.0 cm.. Giving the history and the findings the most likely diagnosis is an inflammatory infection provess and there may be early abscess formation. Note that an underlaying neoplasm cannot be entirely excluded..Recommend appropriate treatment and close followup. If findings do not resolve completely futher evaluation, possibily surgical consultation may be indicated.My Doc had a talk with me about these results so after worrying i was happy to hear i didnt have cancer and was just going to have to take antibotics..Well now im starting to question if maybe there isnt more to it.. The antibotics r not working and this is my 2nd round of a different antibotic.. The lump is about 2 inches r more larger then my last doc appt ( feb 6th 2012) and the pain is getting unbareable even with pain meds.. Does anyone havee any idea what maybe going on??? PLZ HELP
- Resources
Amy, we're not doctors, and so can't diagnose. But it sounds like there's a lump in your breast that your doctors think is an infection, and thus they're treating it like an infection, but the antibiotics aren't working. What do they say about the increased pain? Do they want you to complete the course of antibiotics before going on to plan B? I hope you've let them know that the pain is increasing; this is information they need.
Your next step, if your current doctors don't seem to know what's going on, is to get a referral to a breast specialist ASAP. Luckily, breast pain and the quick growth of this lump don't point to breast cancer; breast lumps can stem from a number of different causes, and in young women such as yourself, breast cancer is probably the least likely. That said, you DO need to find out what this is, and have it successfully treated; so advocate for yourself, and push the doctors hard for another plan and/or a referral to a specialist. Good luck - I hope you get some resolution soon. PJH
As PJ says, we are not doctors, but we follow news about breast cancer closely. The guidelines for diagnosing inflammatory breast cancer say that when a woman who isn't breast feeding has an apparent breast infection that doesn't respond to the first round of antibiotics, she needs further evaluation by a breast specialist and possibly a biopsy. Because you have recently been pregnant, your doctors are probably assuming that this is an infection related to milk build-up following pregnancy. They may well be correct. However, repeating rounds of antibiotics that are not working is not a good idea without further evaluation by a breast specialist. It's too soon to panic, but do ask for a referral to a breast specialist. I hope you are soon feeling better.
Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media. Remedy Health Media does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
