Profile of breast disease in patients with mastalgia audit of breast clinic in Mosul

Abstract EN

Objective : In the medical encyclopedia ; Mastodynia, mastalgia or mammalgia are names for a medical symptom that means-pain in the breast.

This common problem seen in the west, finds little mention in our country and our literature.

The purpose of this study is to report the pattern of various breast diseases amongst women presenting with mastalgia (breast pain) in Mosul breast clinic emphasizing their assessment and hoping to initiate further studies on their natural profile.

Patients and methods : A retrospective study of 682 female patients with mastalgia.

From the Breast Clinic in Al Jamhoory Teaching Hospital in Mosul between Aug 2002-March 2004.

Records of six hundred eighty two patients with breast pain with or without lumpiness utilizing Cardiff daily breast pain chart filled by the patients were reviewed.

Their mean age was about 38 years.

All patients were examined clinically and by ultrasound (probe7.5MHz).

Mammography and histopathological examination were done to those with equivocal and suspicious clinical and ultrasonographic results.

Results : Cyclical breast pain was reported in 422 patients (62 %), normal breast nodularity in 154 (22 %), inflammatory lesions in 40 (6 %), benign breast pathology in 56 (8 %), benign tumours in 6(less than 1 %) and malignant tumours in 4 (less than 1 %).

Conclusions : Breast pain is a common problem in the breast clinic.

This study showed that cyclical breast pain and nodularity represent the commonest conditions followed by benign and inflammatory lesions.

Breast pain needs to be evaluated as with many other medical problems, by good history (including breast pain chart) and examination.

This to be followed by imaging (as the age implies) and histopathological assessments.

Surgeons evaluating breast pain should have more rational criteria in using further sophisticated, expensive and invasive tests.