High oncology alertness in society makes any indurations under the skin, and often accompanied by swelling of the breast, hyperemia, the occurrence of purulent abscesses, suggest breast cancer and other serious pathologies. However, nodules under the skin may be a manifestation of breast tuberculosis. This disease can develop not only in women, sometimes it also affects men, although the tissues of the mammary glands are quite resistant to mycobacteria. Tuberculosis of the mammary gland, with the earliest possible treatment, is easily treatable, and the disease can end in a complete recovery.
Forms of breast tuberculosis and the main symptoms of the disease
Breast tuberculosis rarely affects both breasts at the same time, usually the process develops in the upper or lower outer sector of the mammary gland, less often with involvement of the nipple and areola. Young women get sick more often, but cases of breast tuberculosis can also be found in elderly patients.
Most often, tuberculosis of the mammary gland is manifested by dense, painful nodules, which have fuzzy borders on palpation. In this case, the breast increases in size and deforms due to the growth of nodules, ulcerations appear on the skin, and abscesses with purulent discharge are possible. The disease is accompanied by common signs of tuberculosis intoxication - weight loss, fever, excessive sweating, weakness and lack of apatite.
Tuberculosis of the mammary gland is extremely rare in an isolated form, it usually develops due to the spread of infection by blood or lymph flow from the lung, from the lymph nodes. Predisposing factors for the activation of the process are breast injuries, weakened immunity, long-term use of corticosteroids, and lactation.
Diagnosis of breast tuberculosis and features of therapy
The timeliness of treatment of developed breast tuberculosis often suffers from the fact that this disease is similar in its manifestations to breast cancer, mastitis, actinomycosis, fibroadenoma. When collecting an anamnesis, it is necessary to clarify with the patient her possible contacts with one of the patients with tuberculosis, to find out if she had pleurisy in the past, after which intrathoracic lymph nodes are often affected. The most accurate information about the diagnosis can be obtained by taking a needle biopsy and performing a cytological examination.
Treatment of breast tuberculosis is carried out against the background of general anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy with the removal of individual necrotic nodes in the breast. The earlier treatment is started, the greater the chances of complete regression of the infectious process in the mammary gland and complete recovery of the patient. In the absence of success of drug therapy, a sectoral resection of the affected areas of the mammary gland is performed.
Physiotherapeutic treatment prescribed after excision of the infiltrate, such as electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, showed good efficiency. The treatment of breast tuberculosis is very long, it can last for several years.
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