Descripción general

Un bulto mamario es un crecimiento de tejido que se forma en la mama. La mayoría de los bultos en las mamas no son peligrosos, pero si tienes uno, es fundamental que el médico u otro profesional de atención médica lo revise de inmediato.

Síntomas

El tejido mamario normalmente puede tener un aspecto abultado o rugoso. Puedes tener sensibilidad que aparece y desaparece con el período menstrual.

Si tienes algún problema de salud que afecte las mamas, es posible que notes cambios en la forma en que estas se sienten normalmente. Estos cambios pueden incluir lo siguiente:

  • Un bulto redondeado, liso y firme.
  • Un bulto grande y sólido que se mueve fácilmente debajo de la piel.
  • Un bulto duro en la mama con una forma inusual.
  • Una zona de la piel que ha cambiado de color o se ve roja.
  • Hoyuelos en la piel, como una naranja.
  • Cambios en el tamaño o la forma de la mama.
  • Secreción líquida del pezón.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment to have a breast lump checked, especially if:

  • The lump is new and feels firm or fixed.
  • The lump doesn't go away after 4 to 6 weeks. Or it has changed in size or in how it feels.
  • You notice skin changes on your breast such as a change in skin color, crusting, dimpling or puckering.
  • Fluid comes out of the nipple suddenly on more than one occasion. The fluid might be bloody.
  • The nipple recently turned inward.
  • There is a new lump in your armpit, or a lump in your armpit seems to be getting bigger.

Causas

Las causas de los bultos mamarios pueden ser las siguientes:

  • Quistes mamarios. Estos sacos llenos de líquido que se forman dentro de las mamas son redondos, lisos y firmes. Un quiste mamario puede medir unos pocos milímetros o ser grande como una naranja. El tejido alrededor del quiste puede estar adolorido. Un quiste mamario puede aparecer antes del periodo y después reducirse, agrandarse o desaparecer. Los quistes mamarios tienden a aparecer rápidamente cerca del ciclo menstrual.
  • Cambios fibroquísticos en las mamas. Con estos cambios, es posible que sientas inflamación en las mamas. Algunas zonas pueden tener bultos o una textura similar a la de una cuerda. Puedes sentir sensibilidad en las mamas. Es común tener cambios fibroquísticos en las mamas relacionados con el ciclo menstrual. Los síntomas tienden a mejorar después de tener el periodo.
  • Fibroadenomas. Estos tumores mamarios sólidos no son cáncer. Son lisos y se mueven con facilidad debajo de la piel cuando los tocas. Un fibroadenoma puede reducirse o aumentar de tamaño con el tiempo. Entre los factores que pueden estar relacionados con el crecimiento de un fibroadenoma se incluyen el embarazo, el uso de una terapia hormonal como píldoras anticonceptivas o la menstruación.
  • Lesión o posoperatorio. Una lesión grave en el tejido mamario o una complicación después de una cirugía en las mamas pueden formar un bulto en las mamas. Esto se conoce como necrosis grasa.
  • Infecciones. Una acumulación de líquido infectado, que se conoce como absceso, en el tejido mamario también puede producir un bulto en las mamas. El bulto suele asociarse con dolor de mama, enrojecimiento u otro cambio en el color de la piel en esa zona e hinchazón de la piel.
  • Papiloma intraductal. Es una protuberancia similar a acrocordones de la piel en un conducto mamario. No es cáncer. Un papiloma intraductal puede ocasionar secreciones de líquido transparente o sanguinolento del pezón. No suele ser doloroso. Es posible que se vea en una ecografía de mama en la zona debajo del pezón.
  • Lipoma. Este tipo de bulto puede sentirse blando. Está formado por tejido mamario graso. Suele ser inofensivo.
  • Cáncer de mama. Un bulto en la mama que es indoloro, rígido, con una forma inusual y diferente del tejido mamario que lo rodea podría ser cáncer de mama. La piel que recubre el bulto puede engrosarse, cambiar de color o estar enrojecida. También puede verse escamosa, con hoyuelos o picada como la piel de una naranja. El tamaño y la forma de las mamas pueden cambiar. Es posible que notes secreción de líquido por el pezón o un hundimiento del pezón. Los ganglios linfáticos de la axila o cerca de la clavícula podrían hincharse.

Consulta al médico u otro profesional de atención médica para saber qué tipos de pruebas podrías necesitar y qué tipo de bulto tienes en la mama.

Factores de riesgo

Risk factors for breast lumps caused by conditions that are not cancer include the following:

  • Age. Some conditions that cause breast lumps are more common in the 30s and 40s. These include fibrocystic changes and fibroadenomas.
  • Menstrual periods. Before or during your period, you may feel a breast lump due to extra fluid in the breasts.
  • Pregnancy. Your breasts may feel lumpy during pregnancy. That's because the glands that make milk grow in number and get larger.
  • Premenopause. As you get closer to menopause, hormone changes might make your breasts feel lumpier and tender.

Some risk factors for breast cancer are within your control to change. These include:

  • Alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the higher the risk of breast cancer.
  • Overweight or obesity. The risk of breast cancer rises if you're overweight or obese after menopause.
  • A lack of exercise. If you don't get physical activity, it may make you more likely to get breast cancer.
  • Not giving birth. The risk of breast cancer is slightly higher in people who haven't had children or who didn't have children until after age 30.
  • Not breastfeeding. The risk of breast cancer may be slightly higher in people who don't breastfeed their babies.
  • Hormonal birth control. Birth control methods that use hormones to prevent pregnancy may slightly raise breast cancer risk. These include birth control pills, shots and intrauterine devices.
  • Hormone therapy. Long-term use of estrogen combined with progesterone can raise the risk of breast cancer.

Other risk factors for cancerous breast lumps can't be controlled. These include:

  • Being born female. Women are much more likely than men to get breast cancer.
  • Aging. The risk of breast cancer rises with age. Most often, tests find breast cancer in people 55 and older.
  • Gene changes. Some types of breast cancer are caused by genes changes passed from parents to children, also called inherited gene changes. A change in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene is the most common cause of inherited breast cancer.
  • Family history of breast cancer. You're more likely to get breast cancer if a close relative such as a parent or sibling also had the disease.
  • Dense breasts. This means your breasts have more glandular and fibrous tissue, and less fatty tissue. People with dense breast tissue have a higher risk of breast cancer than those whose breast density is average.
  • Early menstrual periods or later menopause. Starting your period at an early age, especially before 12, is linked with a slightly higher breast cancer risk. Going through menopause after 55 also is tied to a slightly higher risk of breast cancer.
  • Certain breast conditions that aren't cancer. Some benign breast conditions that cause lumps can make breast cancer more likely later on. These conditions include atypical ductal hyperplasia and atypical lobular hyperplasia, which involve too much cell growth in certain breast cells. Another condition called lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) happens when cells grow in glands that make breast milk. LCIS also can raise the risk for breast cancer.

Complicaciones

Some conditions that cause breast lumps may lead to other health concerns, also called complications. The complications depend on the type of breast lump that you have. For example, without treatment, some breast infections can cause pockets of pus to form in the breast.

Other breast conditions that are not cancer still can raise the risk of breast cancer later on. These include conditions that can cause lumps, such as atypical ductal hyperplasia, atypical lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ. If you have a breast condition that raises the risk of cancer, it doesn't mean that you'll definitely get breast cancer. Ask your healthcare professional what the risk means for you and whether you can make lifestyle changes to lower it.

Some breast lumps don't cause complications. For example, small cysts and simple fibroadenomas sometimes go away on their own over time.

Prevención

There's no clear way to prevent many breast lumps. Breast lumps that are not cancer often are linked with natural changes in the body, such as hormonal changes over time.

But some risk factors for cancerous breast lumps are within your power to change. Take the following steps to lower your chances of breast cancer:

  • Drink less alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
  • Eat a balanced diet. Fill your plate with lean proteins, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables. Eat less sugary, salty and processed foods.
  • Exercise. The American Cancer Society recommends that adults aim to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week. Or you can try to do 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week. If you're not active now, ask your healthcare professional to help you get started.

Bultos sospechosos en la mama - atención en Mayo Clinic

Feb. 08, 2024

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