Diffuse mastopathy

Nowadays mammary gland diseases are extremely well-spread among women. There is a great number of reasons behind these illnesses such as imbalanced hormonal background, high neurological load, age changes, lack in necessary nutrients, and environmental adversity.

Diffuse mastopathy. Cause and types

Mastopathy is characterized by growth of connective tissue and formation of cysts filled with transparent liquid. This disease is one of the most frequently happened to women. All in all almost half of the female population suffer from it.

A number of different factors can cause mastopathy. First of all it is heightened amount of female sex hormone – estrogen ­ in their blood. The reason for it is that less and less women decide to give birth to babies and breast feed them. During these periods other hormones come to the foreground (during pregnancy - female sex hormone progesterone, during breastfeed - prolactin) which block the formation of estrogen. Another reason of mastopathy is disturbances of childbearing functions. One can name abortion, high stress, not getting enough sleep, high neurological load, endocrine diseases, chronic disease of female genitals, as well as other organs and systems; inherited predisposition.

Mastopathy can develop on a certain spot of mammary gland (nodal mastopathy) or it can strike the whole tissue (diffuse mastopathy). Diffuse mastopathy itself is divided into diffuse fibrous mastopathy (growth of connective tissue only) and diffuse fibrous-nodal mastopathy (growth of connective tissue having cysts-saccules filled with transparent liquid).

Symptoms of diffuse mastopathy

Pain can be observed somewhere around the mammary gland in the middle and second half of menstrual cycle (right before menstruation) if a woman suffers from diffuse mastopathy. The pain can be nagging, piercing, arching; it can reverberate in the back or neck. Mammary glands coarsen, become dense, some secretion exude from the nipples. Mammary glands are evenly dense and painful under palpation. After menstruation mammary glands are usually evenly dense, a little heavy, and painful.

Furthermore, women with diffuse mastopathy have outward signs of heightened amounts of estrogen in the blood, dry skin, excess weight, menstrual period lasting more than 28 days, prolonged and plentiful menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, ovary cyst, and benign tumor of their uterus.

Diagnostics of diffuse mastopathy

 

 

 

Giving diagnosis includes data from doctor's medical examination (mammary surgeon), ultrasound and roentgenologic studies of mammary glands, hormonal blood test, and laboratory examination of biologic material which was taken from the mammary glands by biopsy.

 

Multiple cysts in both mammary glands can be found after ultrasonic examination (US). During this study doctors can see cyst's size and enlarged gland ducts. Mammography study allows you to identify epithelial (mammary tissue) and connective-tissue (gland ducts and bundles) structure of the gland, determine the right kind of mastopathy, the extension level of hardening, and the presence of benign or malignant tumor in the mammary glands.

Laboratory studies show hormone balance distractions, especially in sex and thyroid glands (hormonal blood test); enlargement of connective tissue, and presence of malignant tumor cells (study of biological environmental by biopsy).

Diffuse mastopathy treatment

 

 

The decision whether to treat a patient for diffuse mastopathy or not is made by a doctor after a very detailed examination. Almost in all cases such women visit their doctors on a regular basis so they can timely reveal the presence of a malignant tumor.

 

Diffuse mastopathy treatment is conducted in a conservative way. To improve one's metabolic process (which influences hormonal background in a good way) it is recommended to keep on a diet. Meals should be mostly of milk and vegetables and contain a lot of fresh and soaked vegetables, cooked cereals, leguminous plants, and organic animal fat. Intestine dysbacteriosis can stop vitamins from absorption. Its treatment includes vitamin-mineral complex and bio-active food additive.

Physical exercises are strongly recommended (going in for sports or exercise therapy, depending on level of health). Other ways of treatment are physio-therapeutic procedures (electrotherapy, therapeutic mud-baths, and so on), along with psycho-therapeutic consultations (and treatment if needed).

Hormone and non-hormone medicine is prescribed if imbalanced hormone background is revealed. Female sex hormone progesterone (it helps to lower the amount of estrogen in blood), and thyroid gland hormone are types of hormone medicine.

Non-hormone medicine relieves disagreeable symptoms of mastopathy: Diuretic (removes issue edema), and sedative drugs, (drugs that help the liver to work removing toxic products through metabolic process), potassium drugs, enzymes, iodine drugs (stimulate thyroid gland), etc.

Mastopathy is one of the risk factors of mammary glands cancer thus regular visits to mammary surgeon are a necessity.