Breast involution: diagnosis or condition?

The involution of the mammary gland occurs at a certain age in every woman. We are talking about the so-called reverse development, when under the influence of certain hormones there is a gradual replacement of glandular tissue with adipose or connective tissue. This usually occurs in women upon entering the period of perimenopause and is considered a variant of the norm, since the involution of the mammary gland is dependent on the state of the hormonal background and in some women it can occur even in old age. But if such tissue replacement begins in a young woman, this may indicate the presence of pathological processes that require correction.

Mammary gland involution: what happens in the breast

The mammary glands, as well as the elements of the reproductive system of the female body, are exclusively finely regulated by hormones, and therefore any changes in the mammary glands, starting from the puberty period and ending with the postmenopausal period, occur due to fluctuations in the hormonal background. When it comes to the involution of the mammary gland, a kind of reverse development is implied - when the glandular tissue that was formed in a woman as early as adolescence, under the influence of hormones, gradually begins to be replaced by adipose and connective tissue.

Usually, the processes of involution of the mammary gland begin in its lower sections and are much more intense than in the upper ones, so outwardly it becomes noticeable by sagging of the breast and a gradual loss of shape. Breast involution is usually of two types:

• fatty,
• fibrous.

In the process of fatty involution of the mammary gland, areas of adipose tissue grow between the glandular lobules, while the strands become thinner and the glandular tissue of the gland is gradually replaced by fatty tissue. In the case of fibrous involution of the mammary gland, the glandular tissue is replaced by connective tissue, this option is rare. But a combination of both options is quite possible - fibrous-fatty involution of the mammary gland.

Is breast involution dangerous to health

Usually, a woman does not notice the onset of involution of the mammary gland, since this condition is not accompanied by any special external symptoms. Occasionally, chest pains may be disturbed, giving a little to the upper back, especially shortly before the onset of menstruation. Most often, when it comes to young patients under the age of 40 without signs of early menopause, breast involution is detected during an ultrasound scan or mammography. In this case, the chest in the picture looks very light due to adipose tissue, through which vessels, connective tissue cords, and milk ducts are clearly visible.

If a breast involution is found in a patient older than 40 years, this condition is considered to be a variant of the norm. Of course, the production of hormones in each woman is completely individual, and it happens that in patients, even after 60 years, the hormonal background allows them to keep their breasts without any involutional changes. But usually, with the onset of menopause at the age of about 50, hormonal changes in a woman's body also determine the beginning of the replacement of the glandular tissues of the mammary glands with fat. This condition is not considered a diagnosis and does not require treatment, but it requires increased alertness on the part of the doctor and the woman herself regarding neoplasms, since fluctuations in the hormonal background can provoke the development of breast tumors.

When involutional processes are found in young patients, this may indicate significant malfunctions in the body that require correction. In this case, in addition to instrumental studies of the mammary glands, tests for the level of hormones are prescribed, the reasons for the involution of the mammary gland are clarified, and treatment is prescribed to eliminate the imbalance and stop the degeneration of breast tissues.

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