Breast lipoma: a dangerous disease or a minor defect? Breast lipoma: not malignant, but needs to be removed? Lipoma in the mammary gland on ultrasound

They can appear not only in the chest, but also in other parts of the body, but they do not pose a serious danger to the patient’s life if removed in a timely manner. Most often, lipoma in the breast occurs in women after 40 years of age for a variety of reasons.

The exact cause of lipoma is difficult to determine. Usually, with such a diagnosis, they donate blood and undergo additional tests to identify problems in the body.

With a lipoma, part of the adipose tissue is transformed and forms a capsule. In rare cases, this formation grows into other tissues, blood vessels, and muscles.In fact, all the factors that are often called the causes of lipoma are only prerequisites.

Common causes of wen in the mammary gland:

It is believed that overweight women are at risk. However, there is no definite opinion on this matter. Wen can also appear in a thin woman, but with sudden weight loss, the wen does not disappear. There is fatty tissue in the breasts at any weight. However, not proper nutrition, abundance fatty foods and rapid weight gain can contribute to development.
Various hormonal imbalances lead to such formations. This also applies to metabolism and other disorders. Women taking oral contraceptives are at risk.
Physical inactivity is also a provoking factor. In case of insufficient physical activity lymph flow is disrupted.
Injuries can lead to the formation of lipomas.
Wearing the wrong underwear is also dangerous. It interferes with blood flow and can lead to lipomas. The bra must fit correctly and not squeeze or rub your breasts.
Alcohol abuse and smoking are known to weaken the body and lead to many troubles. Poor blood circulation and lymph flow, the formation of lipomas are among them.
Sometimes the cause is the accumulation of toxins in the body or blockage sweat gland in the chest.

Symptoms of breast lipoma are usually purely cosmetic. These formations are usually painless. But outwardly it looks like a lump or lump in the chest. It feels like plastic dough to the touch. Lipoma can cause some discomfort, for example, when wearing underwear or movement.

A lipoma can be located in any part of the chest.

Each type of lipoma can manifest itself differently. For example, fibrolipoma, the most dangerous and difficult to treat, can be quite painful.

Diagnosis and conservative treatment

Unfortunately, more effective than surgical intervention is this moment does not exist. There are many statements about the treatment of lipoma conservative methods, but so far they are all ineffective.

First you need to carry out diagnostic procedures. If a woman finds a lump in her breast, she should immediately contact a mammologist. The doctor will examine her and already at the palpation stage will report the expected. Then you need to go additional examination, CT or to determine the size, boundaries of the lipoma, its location and types.

A woman has the right to demand that the wen be removed from the mammary gland. The fact is that it is not always possible to reliably distinguish a malignant formation from a benign one. And the procedure for removing a cancerous tumor is significantly different from removing a wen. Therefore, it is advisable to first do a biopsy and send the material for histological examination. Incorrectly operated cancer tumor quickly grows and metastasizes.

On a mamogram and on an ultrasound screen, a lipoma looks like a spot with fairly clear contours. This is on ultrasound. On palpation, the wen may shrink. However, all these examinations without a biopsy cannot guarantee 100% absence of cancer cells.

Unfortunately, it has not yet been proven that lipoma can resolve on its own under the influence of any medications.

Therefore, the only treatment method is surgical.If the doctor is unsure of the origin of the lipoma or the diagnosis, he may postpone surgery and regularly check the patient's condition. In this case, it is necessary to undergo regular examination and do it at least once every 3 months. If the lipoma suddenly becomes very painful and begins to grow, it must be removed immediately.

Despite the fact that the lipoma itself is not life-threatening, there is always a risk that it can degenerate into a malignant neoplasm. Especially if it quickly increases and deforms the breasts, and is also injured by underwear.

Lipoma can be removed using the standard method or using a laser. The second method is safer in terms of, and also does not leave scars or scars.Small lipomas are not always removed immediately. Typically, a mammologist recommends regular check-ups and monitoring of tumor development. If it does not increase in size, it is not removed.However, if the tumor grows, deforms the breast and there are already traces of tissue necrosis, it is necessary to urgently remove the lipoma.

Usually the lipoma is removed under local anesthesia, unless it is too large and difficult to reach. Fats are prone to recurrence, but with laser removal this probability is much lower. In addition, laser surgery is painless and eliminates bleeding.Lipomas removed by puncture most often grow again. The contents of the wen are simply sucked out, but the capsule itself remains in the chest and can be filled again.

The conventional surgical method of lipoma removal is also quite effective and the risk of recurrence is low, but scars cannot be avoided.

In some cases, they carry out medical removal lipomas, that is special drugs using a needle, it is injected directly into the wen, after which it should be destroyed from the inside and shrink. However, this treatment is very long and requires constant monitoring.

Useful video - breast lipoma.

Enough effective method removal of lipoma - radio wave. It should not be used by people with metal objects in their bodies. The good thing about this method is that it leaves no scars. Radio waves are sent directly to the lipoma, burning it from the inside. After this, instead of the wen, a small crust remains, which dissolves on its own.

Lipoma removal does not require hospitalization. After the procedure, the patient is sent home with a list of medications and recommendations. She must come at the appointed time to check and process the seams.Lipoma treatment does not stop with surgery. Postoperative procedures no less important. The woman is prescribed antibiotics to avoid infection, treatment of sutures with antiseptic drugs, as well as various vitamin complexes and homeopathic medicines to strengthen the body.

Complications and prevention

Breast lipoma - consequences and preventive actions

Modern medicine I have achieved that a lipoma detected and removed in time has practically no consequences. But if the lipoma is not removed, complications cannot be avoided.

Possible complications of lipoma:

The worst thing and dangerous complication Wen is cancer. Any tumor can become malignant under the influence of unfavorable factors. This should be understood and not wait until the lipoma disappears on its own.
Of course, there is also an aesthetic aspect. Lipomas can be quite large in size and severely deform the breasts. This is not only unsightly, but also very dangerous.
Lipoma can also fester and become inflamed. This is a painful process that can lead to tissue necrosis.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to insure yourself against lipoma. It can appear anywhere there is adipose tissue, and this does not always depend on the lifestyle and actions of the person himself. It also plays a role environment, and hormonal levels, and heredity.

However, there are some rules that will help reduce the risk of this unpleasant occurrence:

There is a version that the growth of adipose tissue and the formation of lipomas are slowed down by drugs called statins. However, this version has no scientific confirmation.
Everything needs to be treated on time skin diseases, and also protect the skin from the sun, hypothermia and exposure to various chemicals.
It is important to observe the rules of personal hygiene. Clogged pores and sebaceous glands leads to the formation of boils, which can then transform into lipomas.
For women who have never had lipomas, it still wouldn’t hurt to visit a mammologist every six months. Small wen may not cause any discomfort to the woman, but the doctor will notice them and register the patient for follow-up.
Proper nutrition and avoidance of alcohol serve as an excellent prevention of many diseases, including the occurrence of lipomas.

Removing a lipoma does not guarantee the absence of relapses. Therefore, prevention is also important after surgery. It is recommended to get regular and sufficient rest, reduce fat intake, choose a suitable method of contraception so as not to affect the body with artificial hormones, and also do not forget about regular check-ups with a doctor.

Structural features female breast, and hormonal disorders become the starting point for the formation of tumors, in particular lipomas. This anomaly should not cause fear, however, contacting a doctor is necessary to exclude the possibility of developing other pathologies of the mammary glands.

What is breast lipoma

Women's breasts naturally have a complex structure. Around this organ is concentrated a large number of lymph nodes They are the main indicators of the occurrence of breast pathologies.

The processes inside the tissues of the female breast are primarily influenced by hormones:

estrogens;
prolactin;
progesterone;
growth hormones;
hormones thyroid gland.
oxytocin;
insulin.

If there is a deviation from the norm, tumors of various nature may develop, including the formation of lipomas.

Lipoma has several names: wen, fatty tumor, lipoblastoma.

Lipoma is the most common benign tumor among women, formed on the basis of adipose tissue of the mammary glands as a result of abnormal cell division. The complexion of a man and his physical development does not affect either the quality or quantity of such neoplasms.

Initially, the wen grows slowly, is not accompanied by any symptoms and does not bother the woman until it reaches an impressive size.

On average, the size of the tumor does not exceed 1.5 cm in diameter. To the touch it is a painless node, mobile and soft. As a rule, the clot has a dense capsule, although there are cases of lipoma joining neighboring tissues.

Since most often the fatty tumor does not manifest itself, many women are in no hurry to see a doctor, which is a big mistake. As the lipoma grows, neighboring organs, muscles, and glands are compressed. As a result, the risk of developing malignancy or tissue necrosis increases. Therefore, if a “lump” is detected in the breast, you should urgently contact a mammologist.

You need to know that lipoblastoma can also occur in men.

This is interesting! Lipomas occur not only in women, but also in men. In this case, the fatty tumor can be localized both in the chest area and on other parts of the body (legs, arms, stomach, back, etc.)

Classification

Causes and factors for the development of wen

It is known that this tumor often occurs between the ages of 30 and 55 years, that is, during the onset of menopause. In addition, women who are diagnosed with:

liver pathologies;
systemic connective tissue diseases;
genetic diseases;
problems with the endocrine system;
pancreatic diseases;
alcoholism.

Development of wen in early age is hereditary in nature.

Provoking factors are:

hereditary predisposition caused by a defect in the HMG I-C gene;
injuries;
surgical interventions;
impaired immunological reactivity;
persistent hormonal imbalances leading to imbalance;
frequent exposure to radiation;
multiple pregnancies;
physical inactivity;
wearing tight underwear;
blockage of the sebaceous glands of the breast;
smoking;
long-term use of contraceptives;
stress and psycho-emotional disorders;
disruption of the functioning of the digestive and excretory systems;
pathology nervous system.

However, the exact cause of lipomas has not yet been identified.

Symptoms

Almost any woman can detect the appearance of a wen. It is enough to regularly feel the breast and its visual inspection. Of course, small tumors are almost impossible to recognize, but tumors that have reached 1–2 cm in diameter are quite easy to identify.

Lipoma as it grows:

begins to put pressure on neighboring tissues;
leads to breast deformation with a violation of symmetry;
sometimes causes pain.

A fatty tumor can be located anywhere in the breast, but it is most often located in the outer upper part of the breast. If a wen has formed in the nipple area, then it appearance resembles a small white rash.

Note! The skin in the area of the lipoma does not change externally.

Diagnosis and differential diagnosis

Any deviation from the norm or suspicion of the presence of a neoplasm should be a reason to contact a mammologist. The specialist will conduct a number of studies: instrumental and laboratory.

When identifying a lipoma, it is very important to differentiate it from malignant tumors. The fact is that the wen itself and its removal do not pose a mortal danger to humans. But if during the operation it turns out that the tumor turns out to be malignant, then the woman’s condition can worsen very quickly. Surgery causes cancer cells to enter the blood and lymph.

Treatment of breast lipoma

When a lipoma is detected, treatment is not always required. This applies only to small tumors, provided that they do not grow. In such cases, it is necessary to be observed by a specialist so that the doctor can record possible changes.

Indications for surgery

Surgical treatment is indicated in the presence of the following factors:

sharp growth of lipoma;
deformation mammary gland;
sensations of pain and discomfort;
visual enlargement of the mammary glands;
necrosis of adjacent tissues;
degeneration of a lipoma into a cancerous tumor.

Drug treatment of medium and large wen without surgical intervention does not exist. The drugs are used exclusively as maintenance therapy during the rehabilitation period.

If the tumor is minimal and the patient insists on its removal, then surgery is performed in a hospital setting without hospitalization. In such cases it is used local anesthesia.

Lipoma removal options

There are several ways to remove lipomas:

Rehabilitation after surgery

After surgery, a tight bandage is applied to the wound, which is updated regularly. In the first 2 weeks, the autopsy site should not be exposed to water and sun. If there was a lipoma large sizes, that is, the likelihood of a cavity filled with fluid or blood. To avoid this situation, drainage is installed.

Drug therapy

After surgical treatment The following drugs are usually prescribed:

anti-inflammatory drugs. Most often these are antibiotics wide range actions:
- penicillins;
- tetracyclines;
- fluoroquinolones;
- aminoglycosides;
- amphenicols;
- macrolides;
immunomodulators: Immunal, Trimunal, Cycloferon;
vitamin complexes (vitamins B, C, A, E);
homeopathic remedies:
- for bleeding disorders and to improve healing: Ledum, Lachesis, Vomica, Arnica, Acidum sulfuricum, Naya, Agaricus;
- at purulent complications: Sulfur iodine, Hepar sulfur;
- when edema occurs: Apis, Aurum metallicum, Barita carbonica;
- for rough scarring of sutures: Graphite, Causticum.

Folk remedies

Facilities traditional medicine can help raise the level of immunity during the rehabilitation period.

Add 25 g of dried rose hips and 50 g of dried berries to 500 ml of boiling water. black currant. Leave for two hours. Strain and then add 150 ml of light beer and 3 tbsp. l. Sahara. Consume the resulting mixture 100 g on an empty stomach in the morning for 4-5 weeks.
Take parsley leaves, raspberries, black currants, oat seeds, hawthorn fruits and motherwort grass in equal parts. 1 tbsp. l. pour 1 liter of boiling water over the mixture. Leave it to sit overnight. Drink the entire amount of tea received the next day in between meals.
Mix 5 g of mumiyo, 100 g of ground aloe pulp and freshly squeezed juice of 3 large lemons, put in a cool, dark place for a day. Take the resulting substance three times a day, 1 tbsp. l.
Pour 2 tbsp. l. pine needles 250 ml of boiling water, keep in a water bath for 15–20 minutes. Before use, add honey to taste. Use in several doses throughout the day.

There is an opinion that there are traditional medicine methods that can help get rid of lipoma. However, professionals in the field of treating breast tumors categorically deny this fact. The effectiveness of taking any medicinal herbs is practically zero.

Treatment of a benign tumor - video

Treatment prognosis and possible complications

The following complications are possible after surgery:

hematomas;
swelling;
infection;
temporary loss of sensation;
colloid scarring (improper fusion of wound edges).

Refusal to undergo surgery often leads to the following consequences:

degeneration of lipoma into breast cancer;
suppuration and inflammation of the wen, leading to cell death, pain and tumor growth;
breast deformation, which can only be corrected in the future by plastic surgery.

The prognosis for treatment of lipomas is usually favorable, although lipomas can recur both in the area of surgical intervention, if not all pathological fat cells were removed, and in a new place.

Prevention

There are no specific measures that can protect against the occurrence of breast lipoblastoma. Where adipose tissue is present, there is a risk of developing wen. Hormonal levels, lifestyle, environment, living conditions and heredity - all of this together can affect the pathological process.

However, you can reduce the risk of any tumors. This is facilitated by:

timely treatment of skin diseases and allergies;
protection of skin from sun rays;
protection from hypothermia;
defence from harmful effects chemicals;
regular examination by a mammologist;
cleaning skin and por;
proper healthy eating;
complete rest;
quitting smoking and frequent drinking of alcohol.

Qualified treatment will help cope with a benign tumor. Paying close attention to your health will make it possible to avoid serious complications. If you discover a lipoma, do not be alarmed. Just see a doctor!

Content

The appearance of any changes in the breast poses a threat to women's health. Breast lipoma is not uncommon; if its symptoms appear, you should urgently consult a doctor to rule out more serious diagnoses and begin breast treatment. You can see what a neoplasm is in the photo, for what reasons it occurs, how to identify it yourself - information useful for modern women.

What is breast lipoma

This disease is not considered dangerous and has a small chance of developing into a form of cancer. A benign neoplasm that develops from the fat cells of the breast is called a lipoma or wen. The tumor can also be located in the tissue under the breast, on the sternum, and a wen on the nipple is possible. In this case, the neoplasm:

has a soft consistency;
round in shape;
does not cause pain upon palpation;
surrounded by a dense capsule of connective tissue.

The risk of degeneration of a benign lipoma into a malignant neoplasm - liposarcoma - exists when the following are present:

large tumors;
injury to the mammary gland;
exposure to radiation on the body;
poisoning;
Availability somatic diseases in severe form;
factors of unfavorable environmental conditions;
hormonal imbalances.

Causes

Many mammologists believe that the main factors that result in the development of lipoma in the mammary gland are blockage of the sebaceous glands and hereditary predisposition (a defect in one of the genes). There are other expert opinions. Name the reasons for the appearance of wen on mammary gland:

lipid metabolism disorder;
chest injuries;
obesity;
hormonal disorders;
long-term use of contraceptives.

Factors contributing to the development of lipoma are:

breast stretch marks caused by pregnancy or breastfeeding;
congestion caused by an incorrectly selected bra;
reception hormonal drugs;
loss of ovarian function during menopause;
disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas, thyroid gland, pituitary gland;
breast surgery;
pathologies of the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, excretory organs;
exposure to radiation;
stress;
smoking.

Symptoms of a wen in the mammary gland

Often the growth of a fatty tumor is asymptomatic. If there is a rapid change in tumor size, it is possible that pathological signs. These include:

the appearance of a round neoplasm in the subcutaneous fat;
deformation of the mammary gland due to tissue displacement;
the appearance of pain on palpation.

Symptoms of wen formation differ depending on the location of the tumor:

in the fatty tissue under the skin - protrudes above the surface of the chest, as in the photo, painless, inactive, diameter up to two centimeters;
in the depths of the mammary gland - detected during instrumental examination, is asymptomatic, when deposited in fibrous tissue calcium salts may cause discomfort and pain;
large lipomas up to 10 cm in size cause deformation of the mammary gland and pain due to compression of adjacent tissues.

Classification of fat formations

Experts distinguish by the number of neoplasms into single ones, found only in the chest, and multiple ones, found throughout the body. This is considered a hereditary predisposition. Wen on the chest is distinguished by shape and structure:

Diffuse lipoma - adipose tissue grows beyond the capsule, there are no clear contours. Shapeless compactions appear.
Nodular - a round-shaped capsule with precise boundaries.

In addition to fat cells, breast lipoma may consist of other tissues. Depending on this, a classification according to consistency is adopted:

lipofibroma of the mammary gland - a formation that is soft to the touch, based on adipose tissue;
angiolipoma – predominance of the network of blood vessels;
fibrolipoma of the mammary gland - contains connective tissue;
myolipoma - the presence of fibers of the muscle structure;
myxolipoma – has a slimy fatty component.

Diagnostics

If symptoms of lipoma appear, you should consult a mammologist. The doctor will begin the diagnosis with a survey and medical history. Next follow:

visual examination of the breast;
palpation of the mammary glands - detection of a mobile or dense neoplasm;
appointment biochemical analysis blood to detect abnormalities metabolic processes;
ultrasonography;
performing mammography of the mammary glands;
if necessary, perform a biopsy of the tumor;
histological examination obtained tissues - the nature of the lipoma is clarified.

Treatment methods

If a small tumor is detected, if it does not cause concern, treatment is not carried out. The lipoma is regularly monitored and changes in size are monitored. There is evidence that the wen is excluded from the general lipid metabolism in the body, so it is not affected medicines. Treatment methods include:

monitoring the condition of the lipoma;
carrying out preventive measures;
when dangerous symptoms changes in the tumor, the likelihood of developing into a malignant form, is a surgical method of treatment.

Conservative therapy

Modern medicine has no medicines to reduce the size of lipoma. Conservative therapy includes wait-and-see tactics when the growth of the tumor is slow or absent. The tumor is monitored if there is no tendency for it to increase, the appearance of cosmetic problems and pain. Mammologists recommend that women with lipoma, especially after 45 years:

undergo quarterly ultrasound;
Do a mammogram every six months and donate blood for the CA-15-3 tumor marker.

Drug treatment

Since there are no medications that can help reduce the size of a tumor in the mammary gland, the causes that provoke the development of lipoma are treated. For this purpose, drug correction of conditions is used. Doctors recommend:

for hormonal imbalance - Duphaston - an analogue of progesterone, used only as prescribed by a mammologist;
immunostimulants – Timalin, used in injections, increases cellular immunity;
vitamin and mineral complexes - for general support of the body.

Treatment of breast lipoma with folk remedies

Experts believe that the use of traditional medicine recipes does not produce results in the presence of a wen in the mammary gland. To prevent the growth of lipoma, metabolic processes can be restored. For this purpose, means are used medicinal herbs and plants. Prescriptions must be agreed with a doctor; self-medication is unacceptable. To normalize metabolic processes, take orally:

decoction of fireweed tea;
juice of fresh nettle leaves;
water infusion of knotweed, St. John's wort, hawthorn, chamomile;
tea with strawberry leaves and stems;
decoction of dandelion leaves.

Surgical removal of the tumor

It is believed that the most effective method of treating lipoma is surgery. It is prescribed for indications for surgery. These include:

tumor necrosis;
risk of degeneration into a malignant neoplasm;
Availability hereditary factors;
compression of tissues, blood vessels, nerve endings by lipoma, painful;;
severe deformation of the breast, nipple;
high growth rate;
severe pain.

During surgery, the capsule is removed along with its contents, which eliminates the risk of relapse. There are several ways surgical removal lipomas:

lipectomy using a scalpel;
laser removal– special equipment is required;
excision using a radio wave knife;
pumping out the contents from the capsule - puncture - there is a possibility of new filling with fat;
injection of a drug into the tumor that promotes the resorption of the lipoma.

Laser removal

This method of surgical intervention is considered low-traumatic. The operation is bloodless - the laser seals small blood vessels. The rehabilitation process takes a short period. During the operation:

the risk of hematoma formation is reduced - there is no mechanical trauma to tissue;
infection is excluded;
none postoperative scars;
It is possible to control the depth of the cut, which eliminates damage to healthy tissue.

Removal of a lipoma using a laser is carried out only when the tumor is located in the subcutaneous tissue. The operation lasts several minutes. When executing it:

local anesthesia is administered;
laser beam the skin is cut;
the edges of the wound are moved apart to expose the capsule;
the tumor is grasped with forceps;
pulled out;
the edges of the wound are tightened and fixed;
The lipoma is sent for histological examination.

Radio wave method

The operation is carried out using a radio wave knife - a tungsten filament under electrical voltage. When using the method, tumors no larger than 6 cm in size are removed. Advantages of the radio wave method:

low morbidity;
neat incision – after the operation a small scar remains;
absence of blood - under the influence high temperature sealing of blood vessels occurs.

The operation has contraindications - diabetes, the presence of metal implants in the patient's body. Before the intervention, local anesthesia is performed. During surgical operation doctor:

performs breast resection with a thin tungsten thread;
peels out the capsule with its contents;
sends biomaterial for research.

Rehabilitation after removal of a benign tumor

After surgery, dressings must be done so as not to cause infection. The procedures are carried out until a crust forms at the suture site. Rehabilitation after lipoma removal includes:

use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain;
treating the wound with antiseptic agents;
reception vitamin complexes;
use of immunomodulators;
the use of antibiotics to combat inflammation after surgery;
use of ointments for fast healing, reducing swelling.

Prognosis for treatment of breast wen and possible complications

Surgical removal of breast lipoma in women has a favorable prognosis in most cases. After the operation, no health problems arise, and there is no risk of relapse. It is important that several conditions are met. Among them:

timely diagnosis of tumor;
completing the rehabilitation course in full;
following all doctor's recommendations.

If mammary lipomatosis is diagnosed in an advanced state, there are unfavorable factors that contribute to the degeneration of the wen into a malignant neoplasm, and serious complications of the disease cannot be ruled out. The biggest danger is the development of liposarcoma. An increase in tumor size with lipofibrosis can provoke.

Lipoma is benign neoplasm, which is formed in adipose tissue. Most often, tumors of this type appear in the subcutaneous fat. There is an opinion that lipomas form in those people who are overweight. However, such a statement is wrong. In this article we will explain in more detail why this type of tumor forms in the mammary gland and how to deal with it.

general information

Necessary therapy

It is important to remember that a lipoma is first and foremost a tumor. It will never resolve on its own. Modern medicine proposes to fight this pathology exclusively through surgical intervention. Removal of a breast lipoma is also necessary because the tumor can develop into a malignant formation.

Today, doctors offer several treatment options through surgery. Most often, a lipoma is removed by enucleation (enucleation).

Small tumors are often treated medications(“Diprospan”, etc.). They are introduced into the neoplasm itself, the medicine begins to literally burn it from the inside until it disappears completely. IN in this case Regular monitoring by doctors is required.

Sometimes a lipoma is removed by puncture. The doctor sequentially pulls its contents out through the needle. There are practically no traces after this intervention, but the tumor shells remain under the skin.

The most effective way removal of a tumor is considered to be the use of a laser. In this case, you can forever forget what a breast lipoma is. Treatment is practically unaccompanied painful sensations. The tumor is completely destroyed, which reduces the risk of repeated tumors or their degeneration into malignant ones.

After surgery, the patient is usually recommended drug therapy. It involves taking several medications at once:

anti-inflammatory drugs (most often broad-spectrum antibiotics);
immunomodulators (“Immunal”, “Cycloferon”);
vitamin complexes (vitamins B, C, A, E);
homeopathic remedies.

It is extremely important to treat the affected area daily with special antiseptic preparations.

There is no need to be afraid of surgery. If you refuse surgery, you will have to constantly visit the doctor and monitor the condition of the lipoma. In addition, the neoplasm can provoke the development of complications.

Folk recipes

Unfortunately, today not all women agree to traditional therapy for such a diagnosis as breast lipoma. Treatment folk remedies in this case it acts as a kind of alternative. Below we list the most popular recipes.

Using onions. You need to bake one onion in the oven, and then finely grate it and mix it with the most common laundry soap. The proportions can be as follows: 1 onion to 1 tablespoon of soap. Make a compress from the resulting mixture and apply it to the affected area twice a day.

It is important to note that many ailments can actually be treated using the recipes of our grandmothers. However, in the case of lipoma, doctors recommend only professional therapy, that is, medication and surgery. Incorrectly selected remedies, as a rule, are ineffective in combating this pathology. This is why it is so important to consult a doctor.

Prevention

As you know, it is better to prevent a problem than to treat it. As for lipoma, in this case doctors recommend that all women undergo regular preventive examinations, including with a mammologist. It is necessary to do a quarterly ultrasound of the mammary glands and take tests for tumor markers. Undoubtedly, healthy image life, proper nutrition and lack of stress - all this is also a kind of prevention of breast lipoma. If you follow all the above recommendations, the risk of this pathology decreases several times.

The most common soft tissue tumor, with the exception of the nervous tissue, is lipoma, or lipoblastoma, commonly called a wen. In 98% it is localized in the subcutaneous tissue, in other cases it is found wherever there are fat cells. Breast lipoma is a benign, almost always soft consistency, mobile, painless formation located in any part of the mammary gland and containing adipose tissue.

Reasons for the formation of a neoplasm

Although a fatty tumor with this localization is not a specifically female pathology, it is more common among women after 35-40 years of age. Its development at an earlier age is usually hereditary.

The formation of lipoma occurs as a result of abnormal division of one's own fat cells in a limited area. The reasons and the unified mechanism of their development have not been fully established, since they are, as a rule, isolated and arise without visible reasons and provoking factors, sometimes after mechanical injury mammary gland or limited inflammatory process.

However, there are not only single wen, but also multiple ones. In this case, we are talking about lipomatosis as a disease in which tumors are distributed in a limited area of the body (regional lipomatosis) or throughout the body (diffuse lipomatosis), sometimes they are symmetrical. In these cases, lipoblastomas are usually a manifestation of a systemic connective tissue disease. If lipomatosis of the mammary gland is diagnosed, then, as a rule, it is accompanied by wen in other parts of the body and/or internal organs and may be one of the signs of disorders of fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism.

Such disorders usually accompany diseases of the liver, pancreas, endocrine system, in particular, the hypothalamus, hormonal changes V menopause, as well as some genetic, hereditary and other diseases of unknown etiology (Madelung, Gram, Dercum, Verneuil-Poten syndromes, multiple lipoma syndrome, etc.). Quite often lipomatosis occurs against the background diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, malignant tumors in the upper respiratory tract.

The occurrence and growth of lipoma is not associated with general obesity, since it can also develop in people with normal or underweight. Even during a period of significant reduction, adipose tissue in the wen continues to accumulate.

Most often in women, breast lipoma occurs during menopause, when menstrual cycles associated with sex hormones are no longer present. A number of research authors explain this by the developing so-called metabolic menopausal syndrome.

The latter is a change in metabolic processes in a woman’s body as a result of extinction hormonal function ovaries and restructuring of the function of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, against the background of which changes occur in the mammary gland (accelerated transformation of glandular tissue into adipose and connective tissue). But the occurrence of lipoblastomas in men and even children once again confirms the polyetiological nature of their development.

Types of lipoblastoma

They can be of different sizes, grow very slowly, reaching 10 cm or more, but, as a rule, in the mammary glands their diameter does not exceed 10-20 mm. With lipomatosis, the wen is much larger, often merges with each other and can be painful. The adipose tissue of these formations differs from the usual one in the size of the fat lobules and cells. The latter can be different - from very small to giant, between which there are cells containing several fat vacuoles.

There are two types of breast lipoma:

Nodular, the most common and representing a node delimited from the rest of the adipose tissue by a thin connective tissue membrane, or capsule.
Diffuse, which gradually, without forming clear boundaries, passes into the surrounding adipose tissue.

Depending on the cellular composition, they are divided into the following types:

Classic, consisting only of fat cells.
Lipofibromas, which contain fatty and connective tissue, but the first one prevails.
Fibrolipomas, the predominant tissue in which is connective tissue.
Angiolipomas containing many blood vessels.

Other types of formations are also possible, for example, containing smooth muscle fibers (myolipoma) or mucus (myxolipoma), but they are practically not found in the mammary glands.

Symptoms of breast lipoma

The usual localization of lipoblastomas in the mammary gland is in the upper outer quadrant. With small sizes they do not lead to cosmetic defect, do not cause any pain or discomfort. Due to slow growth, the tumor long time develops unnoticed and can be accidentally detected on a mammogram, by the woman herself, or during a routine examination by a gynecologist.

During palpation (palpation) examination, a fatty tumor is a smooth, painless, round-shaped formation with clear, even outlines (if it is a nodular type of tumor), easily displaced under the skin and not fused to it and the surrounding tissues.

If it has a lobular structure, then when the skin above it is stretched, you can notice minor depressions and depressions. Classic, as well as lipo- and angiofibroma, have a soft-elastic, jelly-like or doughy consistency. Deeply located and diffuse wen are much more difficult to detect by palpation. However, if they are large in size and grow with their processes into the muscle fascia or between the fibers of the pectoral muscle, they can cause a feeling of discomfort or pain.

Diagnosis and treatment of lipoma

In order to clarify the nature of education and conduct differential diagnosis with malignant neoplasms Additional research is being carried out:

X-ray mammography, which shows the shadow of the formation itself and its borders.
Ultrasound examination, in which a tumor is defined as a formation with reduced echogenicity with or without a capsule, and it is also possible to determine its depth.
Computed tomography, which is the most reliable method for diagnosing a tumor located deep. It makes it possible to distinguish adipose tissue from other, denser surrounding structures.
puncture aspiration biopsy. It is performed if there is doubt about the benign nature of the tumor or the woman refuses surgical treatment. The method consists of collecting material from the neoplasm by puncture with a needle and its further cytological examination.

Lipoblastoma does not disappear on its own and cannot be cured by any conservative means. Treatment for breast lipoma involves removing it surgical methods. The tumor is removed only together with the capsule (enucleated) to prevent relapse.

This is done in the usual way (using a scalpel) or through the use of a radio wave “knife”. If the formation is diffuse, liposuction can be used to achieve a better cosmetic result, especially in combination with endoscopy: to ensure its complete removal. But usually a diffuse lipoma is removed by sectoral resection of the mammary gland.

Transformation of lipoma into malignant tumor does not happen, but you always have to differentiate it from the latter. Therefore, after excision of the node during surgery, an emergency histological examination of the material is carried out in order to clarify its benign nature. If atypical cells are detected, the operating surgeon makes a decision regarding the choice of one of the mastectomy methods. The woman is warned about the possibility of such an outcome before the operation begins.