Mastodynia (breast pain)

What is it?This is pain in the breast.The signs of the diseaseSymptoms may be throbbing, burning, cramping, painful balls, breast tenderness printing, painful sensations of the nipple.Sometimes the wife does not tolerate the slightest touch, the weight of the sheet or the bra. The superficial veins can be particularly visible.Breast pain are usually punctuated by the cycle, increase in the second half of the cycle (luteal phase) and diminish or disappear in the days following the occurrence of the rules.Differential diagnosisA number of pain actually have their origin outside of the breast: intercostal neuralgia, back pain, sternal, slipping rib syndrome (posttraumatic subluxation of 8th, 9th and 10th ribs, with specific painful point), etc.Causes and risk factorsHormonal mastodynia are by far the most frequent causes and are part of PMS which is quite commonplace.Indeed, from ovulation, breasts increase in size.Premenstrual tension is not a sign of hormonal imbalance but an indicator of the cyclical operation of the woman and simultaneous changes of the internal structure of the breast.Mastodynia are not isolated but then included in a table of ovarian dysfunction with hyperestrogenism: disturbed cycles (too long or too short), menorrhagia (blood loss outside the menstrual period), rapid weight gain, disorders mood, pelvic pain ...In this context of hormone-fibrocystic breast, gynecological examination shows abundant cervical mucus and sometimes a functional ovarian cyst confirmed by ultrasound.Mammography shows no abnormal opacity and reveals dense breast glands, confirming the diagnosis.The breast ultrasound may find a breast cyst.Some medications can also cause these hormonal mastodynia.Sometimes mastodynia is linked to organ damage, which explains the need for careful clinical and diagnostic tests.Some psychological disorders (stress, emotional factors) can also cause breast tenderness.TreatmentTreatment is not always necessary.Mastodynia that last, returning regularly every month, however, require progesterone therapy locally or systemically.The veinotonic, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can also relieve the patient.

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