Approach to the Patient with a Breast Mass

A breast mass is the most common presenting symptom among patients in a breast clinic. The presence of a breast mass can cause a great deal of anxiety in women, as well as their physicians. The differential diagnosis of a palpable breast abnormality is broad, although the majority of breast masses are benign. The responsibility of the physician who is evaluating a breast mass is to exclude the presence of malignancy. Once cancer is ruled out, the physician should then attempt to provide an accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and reassurance to the patient. This chapter discusses the assessment of normal breast physiology, identification of a breast mass, evaluation of the various classifications of breast mass (e.g., dominant mass with clinically benign features and dominant mass with suspicious features), differential diagnosis and management of common benign breast masses (e.g., cysts, fibroadenomas, phyllodes tumors, hamartomas, fat necrosis), and the risk of breast cancer associated with benign breast lesions. The chapter also discusses the diagnosis and management of a breast mass in male patients. Tables outline breast lesions that may present as a palpable abnormality, factors used for the assessment of breast cancer risk, physical characteristics of benign and malignant breast masses, the accuracy of fine-needle aspiration, and benign breast lesions by category. Figures illustrate diagnostic procedures, the anatomy of the human breast, visual inspection of the breasts, physical examination of the breasts, breast palpation technique, the evaluation and management of a new breast mass, and the identification of cysts. This review contains 10 figures, 14 tables, and 64 references. Keywords: breast mass, lobuloalveolar development, subareolar nodularity, parenchyma (glandular elements), stromal tissue, ovarian graafian follicles