Does anything besdes Breast Cancer cause dimpling of breast skin?
I've looked as best as I could online; and have pretty much come up empty-handed as to any other causes for dimpling of the skin on breasts; besides cancer. Are there any other conditions that could possibly cause this to happen?
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Breast abscess Breast dimpling sometimes accompanies a chronic breast abscess. Associated findings include a firm, irregular, nontender lump and signs of nipple retraction, such as deviation, inversion, or flattening. Axillary lymph nodes may be enlarged. ▲TopBreast cancer Breast dimpling is an important but somewhat late sign of breast cancer. A neoplasm that causes dimpling is usually close to the skin and at least 1 cm in diameter. It feels irregularly shaped and fixed to underlying tissue, and it’s usually painless. Other signs of breast cancer include peau d’orange, changes in breast symmetry or size, nipple retraction, and a unilateral, spontaneous, nonmilky nipple discharge that’s serous or bloody. (A bloody nipple discharge in the presence of a lump is a classic sign of breast cancer.) Axillary lymph nodes may be enlarged. Pain may be present but isn’t a reliable symptom of breast cancer. A breast ulcer may appear as a late sign. ▲TopFat necrosis Breast dimpling due to fat necrosis follows inflammation and trauma to the fatty tissue of the breast (although the patient usually can’t remember such trauma). Tenderness, erythema, bruising, and contusions may occur. Other findings include a firm, irregular, fixed mass and skin retraction signs, such as skin dimpling and nipple retraction. Fat necrosis is difficult to differentiate from breast cancer. ▲TopMastitis Breast dimpling may signal bacterial mastitis, which usually results from duct obstruction and milk stasis during lactation. Heat, erythema, swelling, induration, pain, and tenderness usually accompany mastitis. Dimpling is more likely to occur with diffuse induration than with a single hard mass. The skin on the breast may feel fixed to underlying tissue. Other possible findings include nipple retraction, nipple cracks, a purulent discharge, and enlarged axillary lymph nodes. Flulike signs and symptoms (such as fever, malaise, fatigue, and aching) are common. ▲TopSpecial considerations Remember that any breast problem can arouse fears of mutilation, loss of sexuality, and death. Allow the patient to express her feelings. ▲TopPediatric pointers Because breast cancer, the most likely cause of dimpling, is extremely rare in children, consider trauma as a likely cause. As in adults, breast dimpling may occur in adolescents from fatty tissue necrosis due to trauma. ▲TopPatient counseling Provide a clear explanation of diagnostic tests that may be ordered, such as mammography, thermography, ultrasonography, cytology of nipple discharge, and biopsy. Discuss breast self-examination, and provide follow-up teaching when the patient expresses a readiness to learn. If a breast-feeding patient has mastitis, advise her to pump her breasts to prevent further milk stasis, to discard the milk, and to substitute formula until the breast infection responds adequately to antibiotic therapy
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