Differential diagnosis of painless solitary hard masses in the breast

A painless, solitary hard lump in the breast is the clinical characteristic of fibroadenoma of the breast. Breast fibroadenoma is the most common benign breast tumor, which occurs mostly in young women. The lumps are mostly round, with smooth surface, clear demarcation with surrounding tissues and no adhesions. Breast tuberculosis is common in middle-aged women, with few systemic symptoms of tuberculosis, mainly manifested as breast lumps, with a slow course. After rupture, ulceration and long-lasting overflow may occur, and there is a thin pus like bean residue, and the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes are often significantly enlarged. The differential diagnosis of painless solitary hard lumps in the breast: 1. cystic adenomatous hyperplasia: This is a stage of abnormal proliferation of the breast, mostly in older people and prone to multiple occurrences, sometimes in the form of cord-like nodules with unclear borders, which are pre-cancerous lesions. 2. Breast pain: It is also a stage of abnormal hyperplasia of the breast, mainly manifested by most small nodules on the breast that are not smooth to the touch, and most of them have mild spontaneous pain. Especially before the menstrual period, the breast swelling and pain is obvious, and even the pain is untouchable, the patient is very painful. 3. Papilloma: It can be solitary or multiple. Most of the single-occurring cases are in older women, and 50% have bloody overflow. Multiple cases are diffuse nodules with no obvious masses. This tumor may become malignant. 4. Lobular cystic sarcoma: Mostly seen in 35-40 years old, with slow development, the tumor is lobulated, partly hard like stone and partly cystic in nature. The tumor is often huge, sometimes ulcerated, and rarely fixed with the chest. It is often mistaken for advanced breast cancer, but the outcome is excellent after radical surgery. Metastasis is uncommon and is usually hematogenous, with occasional lymphatic metastasis. 5. Fat necrosis: It occurs in the lateral part of the breast of obese women, most of them have a history of trauma and need to be identified by excisional biopsy. 6, breast tuberculosis: most of the chest wall tuberculosis spread, can be ulcerated, and outflow of cheese-like pus. Note that the presence of other sites of tuberculosis is often found at the same time during examination. 7, plasmacytoid mastitis: also known as non-lactating mastitis. Less common, mostly with a history of acute attacks, may have pain, fever, etc., but subsides quickly after anti-inflammatory treatment.