Diagnosing Benign (Noncancerous) Breast Conditions
Diagnosing Noncancerous (Benign) Breast
Conditions
How are benign breast conditions and
infections diagnosed?
To diagnose a breast condition,
your healthcare provider will take your complete health history. Your provider may
also:
-
Do a complete physical exam
to:-
Locate any lump and
feel its features, such as texture, size, and relationship to the skin and
chest muscles -
Look for changes in the
nipples or the skin of the breast -
Check lymph nodes under
the arm and above the collarbones
-
-
Request imaging tests,
including:-
Diagnostic mammography
to look for masses and calcifications -
Breast ultrasound to
further evaluate information from the physical exam or mammography - MRI of the breast
-
-
Request a lab microscopic
exam of nipple discharge if there is nipple discharge other than breastmilk -
Request a ductogram X-ray or
MRI ductogram of the nipples if there is nipple discharge other than
breastmilk -
Consider a hormonal
evaluation if the nipple discharge is milky -
Request a biopsy of tissue
removed from the suspicious area
What are the different types of
biopsy?
Image-guided biopsies. Those aided
by ultrasound or other imaging techniques, including:
-
Fine needle aspiration
(FNA). A very fine or thin needle is guided into the suspicious area. A small
sample of the tissue is removed. -
Core needle biopsy. A larger
needle is guided into the lump to remove a small core (cylinder) of tissue.
Surgical biopsy. A surgical
procedure is used to remove all or part of a lump.