Pregnancy / Lactation Breast Pathology Flashcards
(21 cards)
Why do breast tissues change so much during pregnancy?
Response to increase of circulating hormones
What does pregnancy do to the breast? (4)
- Ductal proliferation
- Alveolar-lobular growth with an associated increase of adipose tissue
- Involution of the fibrofatty stroma
- Increase vascularity and blood flow
What happens to the blood flow in the breasts during pregnancy/lactation?
Blood flow doubles during pregnancy
- remains high during lactation and returned to pre-preg levels 2 weeks after weaning
What happens to the breast clinically during pregnancy?
- Increase in volume
- Increase in firmness
- Increase in nodularity
What is normal breast tissue in pregnant women demonstrate on US? (3)
- Ducts are more prominent
- Growth of the lobular components
- Involution of the fibrofatty stoma
What is normal breast tissue in lactating women demonstrate on US? (2)
- Breast parenchyma is more echogenic
- Ducts are dilated
- contains collections of milk
Why is mammo less effective compared to US on pregnant women?
The breasts become more dense
- harder to penetrate through
What are 2 kinds of benign breast lesions you can get with pregnancy?
- Unilateral spontaneous blood nipple discharge
- Galactocele
What is another name for galactocele?
Milk cyst
What % of women in their 3rd trimester experience unilateral spontaneous blood nipple discharge?
20%
What % of women during lacation experience unilateral spontaneous blood nipple discharge?
15%
What could cause unilateral spontaneous blood nipple discharge? (2)
- Increase in vascularity
- Changes to the epithelium
What is the most common benign lesion in lactating women?
Galactocele
What can galactoceles turn into if they persist for years?
Oil cysts
What do galactoceles always demonstrate?
Posterior acoustic enhancement
How can a galactoceles present as? (4)
- Cystic mass with a fat fluid level
- Pseudolipoma
- when the fat content it high - Pseudohamartoma
- when the lesion is mixed due to water and thickened old milk - Pseudoadenoma
- when the lesion is exclusively milk mimicking and benign solid tumour
How does a pseudolipoma appear on US?
Similar findings to that of a lipoma
- but it depends on the fat content
How does a pseudohamartoma appear on US? (2)
- Heterogenous
- Well defined
- determined by milk and fat components
What are 3 inflammatory disease that can develop during pregnancy?
- Puerperal mastitis
- Breast abscess
- Granulomatous mastitis
What is the most common benign solid lesion of pregnancy and lactation?
FA
What are 2 malignant breast lesions that can occur during pregnancy or lactation?
- Pregnancy associated breast carcinoma
- PABC - Pregnancy related Burkitts Lymphoma of the breast
