Article Sections

Introduction

Breast pain, or mastalgia, is a common issue affecting up to 70% of women at some point in their lives.  Although often benign, breast pain can cause significant distress and, in some cases, may indicate an underlying pathology.  A systematic approach to history-taking, clinical examination, and diagnostic evaluation differentiates benign from malignant causes and guides management.

Breast pain is broadly classified into:

  • Cyclic breast pain:  The most common type of breast pain.  Pain originates in the breast and varies throughout the menstrual cycle.
  • Noncyclic breast pain:  Pain originates in the breast but does not have a temporal correlation to the menstrual cycle.
  • Extramammary (referred) pain:  Pain originates outside the breast but is perceived as breast pain.

Pathogenesis

The underlying mechanisms of breast pain vary depending on the etiology.

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