You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Surgery
Surgical management of a giant fibroadenoma during lactation
  1. Krista Hagen1,
  2. Ruth Wieland1 and
  3. Rebecca L Read2
  1. 1Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
  2. 2North Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Krista Hagen; krista.hagen{at}act.gov.au

Abstract

Fibroadenomas are the most common breast lesion in women of reproductive age. During pregnancy and lactation, fibroadenomas can undergo rapid growth in response to hormonal stimulus. These changes may prompt further investigation and/or intervention due to the risk of an underlying phyllodes tumour. We present a case of a female patient who underwent surgical excision of a giant fibroepithelial lesion at 4 months post partum while continuing to breastfeed. The lesion was successfully excised while maintaining lactation. A postoperative milk fistula resolved with non-operative management. There is limited literature on the surgical management of breast lesions in lactating women. This case illuminates the surgical management of breast lesions in an often well informed group of patients who may choose to have surgery while lactating in spite of the increased risk of complications. This case also highlights the need for a holistic approach to maintain the overall health of mother and child.

  • Ultrasonography
  • General surgery
  • Breast surgery
  • Breast cancer
  • Pathology

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-259290

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms, and critical revision for important intellectual content: KH, RW and RLR. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: RLR, RW and KH.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.