Diagnosing Benign Breast Conditions

How are benign breast conditions and infections diagnosed?

In addition to obtaining a complete medical history, your health care provider, in diagnosing a breast condition, may:

• Perform a complete physical examination to:
  • Locate any lump and feel its characteristics (i.e., 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 examination or mammography.
• If there is discharge, other than breast milk, from the nipples, request a laboratory microscopic examination of the discharge.
• If there is discharge, other than breast milk, from the nipples, request a ductogram x-ray of the nipples.
• 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--a very fine (thin) needle is guided into the suspicious area and a small sample of the tissue is removed.
  • Core needle biopsy--a larger needle is guided into the lump to remove a small cylinder (core) of tissue.
• Surgical biopsy--a surgical procedure is used to remove all or part of a lump.

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