Patient's question:
After her sister gave birth to a child, she developed a milk stasis during breastfeeding, which led to poor milk discharge, causing inflammation in her breasts and resulting in cysts. How should milk stasis cysts be treated? Will they become malignant if surgery is not performed?Doctor's answer:
Breast cysts, also known as galactorrhea, are formed during lactation when the milk flow from one gland is obstructed, causing milk to accumulate within the breast. Common types of breast cysts include simple cysts and lactational cysts. The main clinical manifestation is a palpable breast mass. These cysts are often caused by compression from common breast conditions such as fibrocystic changes, inflammation, or tumors. When the epithelial cells of the breast lobules or ducts are shed or blocked by other substances, milk flow becomes obstructed, leading to stagnation within the ducts. This results in duct dilation and the formation of cysts.For lactational cysts, a definitive diagnosis can be made by performing a needle aspiration if a breast mass is detected. The primary treatment for lactational cysts is surgery. However, women who have completed childbearing may undergo needle aspiration instead of surgical removal to avoid the procedure.