Causes and symptoms of the appearance of wen on the chest
A mass in the chest area does not pose a health hazard in the absence of provoking factors. A cluster of lipid cells forms a tubercle that rises on the surface of the skin, which is easy to notice or feel during examination.
It is much more difficult if the wen has formed in vascular or muscle tissue; it is almost impossible to detect it in the early stages. To determine this, you will need to undergo a comprehensive examination to identify the true causes. Prerequisites that cause the appearance of a lump on the chest:
- Hormonal imbalances. Women at risk include women during pregnancy, menopause, taking hormonal contraceptives and with disrupted menstrual cycles.
- Exchange disorders.
- A sedentary lifestyle that causes physical inactivity.
- Injury to the mammary gland.
- Inadequate underwear that rubs and compresses the chest area.
- Disturbances in the circulatory system and lymph flow.
- Blockage of the sweat gland.
Diagnosis of breast lumps
If a mass is detected in the breast, you should consult a doctor. Diagnostics involves:
- palpation;
- Ultrasound;
- mammography;
- biopsy.
To make a reliable diagnosis, a differential study is necessary. It will help distinguish a lipoma from other ailments accompanied by the formation of a tumor. The doctor may prescribe a mammogram and biopsy with further histological examination. Differential diagnosis allows you to distinguish a lipoma from cancer and a formation called “Liposarcoma”. Aspiration biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis. The procedure involves a histological examination with the taking of a biopath. Aspiration biopsy is a highly precise invasive procedure.
To confirm the disease, a puncture biopsy may be prescribed. The doctor takes cellular tissue material and sends it for cytological analysis. The procedure is prescribed if mammography and ultrasound show a voluminous tumor, however, the doctor doubts the diagnosis. A puncture biopsy is a gentle examination method. It involves taking cells for detailed analysis. The manipulation is compared to an intramuscular injection. The doctor inserts a small needle attached to an instrument into the breast. Fragments of tissue and liquid get into this instrument, and then the needle is removed.
Fine needle aspiration biopsy is another testing method. It allows you to determine whether cells are benign or malignant. The procedure is carried out to identify the nature of the tumor. It is performed on an outpatient basis. Before the biopsy, the patient should not take aspirin or anticoagulant medications. If you are allergic to certain drugs, you should inform your doctor.
How to distinguish a lipoma on the sternum from other dangerous formations
You can determine whether a benign lump is on your own based on its appearance, but to be sure, it is recommended to visit a mammologist. Characteristic signs of a breast wen that is not dangerous:
- Diameter no more than 1 centimeter.
- It rises like a mound above the surface of the skin or can be felt when pressed.
- The skin at the top of the tubercle is flesh-colored.
- It has a round or oval shape.
- The seal is soft and mobile, surrounded by a capsule.
- Does not cause inconvenience, does not hurt, does not itch, does not squeeze out.
Growth can be caused by a tight bra or the effect of ultraviolet radiation on the breasts during sunbathing or visiting a solarium. Radiation and injury have a negative effect.
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As a result of the development of the disease, the wen begins to quickly increase in size, the skin acquires a white or yellow tint, and becomes tense.
Pain on touch and movement. These are the first warning signs that should not be ignored. Hurry to the clinic for help from specialists.
A lump-like formation on the nipple or areola needs to be examined by a dermatologist. This is a sign of another growth.
Preventive measures
To avoid tumors, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. It is recommended to play sports, since lack of physical activity is a predisposing factor to disease. Physical inactivity leads to excess weight, and accordingly, the patient has health problems. It is necessary to pay attention to changes in the mammary glands.
If close relatives have been diagnosed with a benign tumor, it is necessary to visit the doctor more often and undergo a comprehensive diagnosis. Despite the fact that the formation is benign, the patient cannot distinguish it from cancer. The prognosis for lipoma is favorable. Surgical treatment is not always prescribed. However, if the invasive procedure was performed correctly and the doctor completely removed the capsule, relapse is unlikely.
A lipoma or wen on the chest forms for the same reasons as on other parts of the body. A nodule or tubercle most often does not cause any discomfort other than aesthetic, but sometimes it is modified into a malignant tumor.
Localization Features
A wen can pop out on the right or left side of the chest, armpit and mammary gland. In most cases, the lump forms in women after forty years, but men, adolescents and children are affected by the disease. This is due to the presence of adipose tissue in the chest area in all patients without exception.
If the formations do not bother you, but to calm your conscience, it is recommended to contact a mammologist. He will make an accurate diagnosis, give a prognosis and possibly prescribe effective treatment.
What is and ICD-10 code for thoracic lipoma
Lipoma of the soft tissues of the chest has code D17 according to ICD-10, and is characterized by a benign nature of its occurrence.
Peculiarities:
- The fatty tissue protrudes above the skin level.
- Has a yellowish color.
- Rounded shape, clear boundaries.
- The diameter ranges from 1 to 20 cm.
- Symptoms are not expressed.
- Often the increase occurs slowly, the compaction can reach enormous sizes.
- Soft tissue disease is characterized by invasive growth. The tumor penetrates into organs, muscles, tendons, and nerve fibers.
- Localization in the chest area is observed in women aged 35-50 years.
According to medical classification, four types of formations are distinguished. Wen consists exclusively of adipocytes. Fibrolipomas are represented by connective and adipose tissue. Myolipoma is formed by lipocytes, myocytes. Angiolipoma consists of blood vessels and lipoids and is associated with a poor prognosis.
Methods for safely getting rid of wen around the nipples
Before starting treatment, it is important to undergo an examination to identify the causes of the formation on the chest, its nature and shape. During the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe a number of tests and additional studies:
- A biopsy of the contents of the wen will help identify the nature of the formation and eliminate the risk of cancer.
- Ultrasound and mammography make it possible to detect the location of the formation of the compaction, determine exactly its shape and size, and the presence of complications.
- MRI - prescribed after a biopsy confirming the malignancy of the tumor. During the examination, the doctor sees the full picture of what is happening around and in the middle of the wen, the presence of metastases.
The doctor examines the test data and makes a diagnosis. In most cases, surgery is prescribed.
Based on the overall picture, the specialist selects the most suitable method of getting rid of the problem on the chest. Several methods are used in medical practice:
- Surgery is indicated if the formation is large, has signs of malignancy and puts pressure on blood vessels and tissues. The operation takes place under anesthesia, during which the surgeon removes the seal along with the capsule. The effectiveness of the operation is justified; it is possible to completely remove the tumor and eliminate recurrence.
- Laser and radio wave therapy is used in cases where the formations are benign and small in size. The defect is eliminated with a beam that does not leave scars and reduces the likelihood of relapse.
- The operation is performed under local anesthesia using a needle that sucks out the wen or injects a special medicine that promotes resorption. The puncture is used after confirmation of benignity and only with small growths on the chest, but there remains a high percentage of the likelihood of reappearance. This is due to the fact that during the process of inserting the needle, only the contents are sucked out, and the capsule remains in place and, over time, is filled with fat cells again.
Getting rid of it with folk remedies and medications is ineffective; there is a high risk of re-formation of breast wen, and in some cases even growth throughout the body. The traditional method is dangerous due to the development of an allergic reaction and consequences that will have to be treated in a hospital.
Postoperative period and prevention
After the operation you must:
- regularly treat seams;
- make sure that there is no discharge;
- take immunomodulatory drugs;
- use various pharmacological agents that restore health.
Hormonal therapy is prescribed less frequently, body weight and metabolic processes are adjusted. The patient is recommended to sleep for 8 hours, take long walks, and limit carbohydrates and fats. Particular attention is paid to the method of contraception to prevent the risk of tumor recurrence.
Lipoma is not considered a dangerous disease, but it can provoke liposarcoma, an oncological disease, therefore, if lumps are detected in the breast, an urgent consultation with a mammologist is required. Prevention of the disease consists of constant breast self-examination in the first 7 days after the end of menstruation. Both breasts are palpated while lying on your back. They are then examined in a mirror for the presence of asymmetry and convex formations. Particular attention is paid to patients with a hereditary predisposition to the appearance of wen.
Can a harmless lipoma turn into a malignant tumor?
The form of the disease is determined by its content. Timely visit to the clinic and diagnosis of the nature of the wen reduces the risk of developing cancer. Ignoring the problem can lead to life-threatening consequences.
It is impossible to insure against the formation of breast wen, but it is possible to reduce the possibility of occurrence by leading a healthy lifestyle. Keep your skin clean, promptly respond to any rashes and formations, and do not delay treatment.
The article has been reviewed by the site editors
Treatment of pathology
Lipoma is considered a benign formation, but doctors recommend treating the disease. The large size of the tumor compresses nearby tissues, which causes disturbances in the functioning of the organ and pain. You shouldn’t fight wen at home - you risk causing serious consequences.
New growths are removed using absorbable injections and surgery. Surgical excision of the node can be performed using the following methods:
- Excision of the tumor using a scalpel can be performed on an outpatient or inpatient basis, depending on the volume and extent of the lesion. The skin is incised to remove the wen capsule and then the edges of the wound are sutured. The method is considered effective - relapse of the pathology is rarely diagnosed. But the procedure is quite painful.
- Lipoma can be removed with laser therapy. The compaction is gradually introduced under the targeted influence of the laser. The procedure is painless. The tumor is completely removed, so there is virtually no recurrence. The operated area recovers within 2-3 weeks.
- Electrocoagulation is the excision of a wen with a high-frequency current. The process is painless. The tissue heals in weeks. Recovery after removal is complete.
- Radio wave removal of lipoma involves exposing diseased tissue to gamma rays. The method is considered gentle with a quick recovery period of 4-5 days.
- Liposuction involves puncturing the tumor and sucking out the fat from the capsule with a special pump. Then the empty capsule is removed. The method is rarely used due to the high risk of recurrence of the disease.
For lipoma, an injection method is often used for treatment. A special solution is injected into the capsule of the node, causing resorption of the atypical tissue. Depending on the volume of the wen, 1 or 3 procedures are performed. The procedure is effective for small sizes – up to 20 mm. Injections are prohibited for frequent use - bone osteoporosis may occur.
At home, you can cure the disease with folk remedies. For this, infusions and ointments based on medicinal clay, aloe and ichthyol ointment are used. Lotions should be done with the consent of the attending physician to prevent the formation of side effects. Doctors consider treatment with traditional medicine recipes ineffective. With such means it will only be possible to stop the growth of the wen.
Danger
The danger of a wen is that it can degenerate into cancer in the presence of constantly influencing negative factors. But experts assure that the likelihood of such a degeneration is very low.
To eliminate it completely, it is necessary to regularly monitor the growth and condition of the tumor. It includes not only self-observation, but also periodic hardware examination in a clinical setting.
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