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| Breast anatomy |
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Breast cysts |
| A woman's breasts sit over the pectoralis major muscle and usually extend from the level of the 2nd rib to the level of the 6th rib anteriorly. The breasts are composed of fatty tissue that contains the glands responsible for milk production in late pregnancy and after childbirth. |
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A cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops in the breast tissue. They often enlarge and become tender and painful just before the menstrual period and may seem to appear overnight. Cysts are rarely malignant and may be caused by a blockage of breast glands. |
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| Breastfeeding |
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Breast lumps |
| Breastfeeding is the practice of a human mother feeding a baby (and sometimes a toddler or a young child) with milk produced from her mammary glands, usually directly from the nipples. Babies have a sucking instinct allowing them to extract the milk. |
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Breast lumps are very common and most women will experience one or more at some time in their lives. However, the vast majority (at least nine out of ten) are benign, i.e. not cancerous. Benign lumps can be caused by cysts or fibroadenomas. |
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| Breast pain (mastalgia) |
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Breast infection & inflammation (mastitis) |
| Breast pain is a common problem in younger women who are still having periods (menstrual cycles). It is less common in older women. The pain can be in one breast or in both. It may come and go each month, or it may last for several weeks, or even months. |
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Breast infection is an infection of breast tissue usually caused by bacteria, most often staph (Staphylococcus aureus), which are found on the skin and enter the breast through a break in the skin or nipple, as during breast-feeding. |
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| Fibroadenoma |
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Fibrocystic breast disease |
| Fibroadenomas are solid, smooth, firm, benign lumps that are most commonly found in women in their late teens and early 20s. Juvenile fibroadenoma refers to a pattern of fibroadenoma seen predominantly in patients less than 20 years of age. |
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Fibrocystic breast disease (FBD) is a term given to a very common group of benign conditions affecting the breast in younger women. Women with fibrocystic breasts usually have soft, moveable lumps in their breasts which may become very tender around the time of their period. |
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| Inverted nipples |
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Nipple discharge |
| Inverted nipples are nipples which turn inwards.Inverted nipples are usually a result of the ligaments along the milk ducts which run to the nipples as shorter than the distance from from the center of the breast where they originate to the nipple. |
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Nipple discharge is a common breast symptom and one that can be particularly alarming when first discovered. There are many underlying causes of nipple discharge. Most nipple discharge is benign and not related to an abnormality. |
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| Mammography |
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| Mammography is a specific type of imaging that uses a low-dose x-ray system for examination of the breasts. The images of the breasts can be viewed on film at a view box or as soft copy on a digital mammography work station. |
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