What is it?
Breast cyst (fibrocystic breast) is a benign (noncancerous) condition in which the breasts feel lumpy or have a ropelike texture. Any woman can get cyst in breast, but it most commonly occurs in women in their 30s to 50s. It isn’t harmful or dangerous, but may be bothersome or uncomfortable for some women.
What are the symptoms?
Many women with fibrocystic breasts will not have any associated symptoms.If you have fibrocystic breast disease, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Change in breast texture.
- Swelling.
- Tenderness.
- Pain.
- A thickening of tissue.
- Lumps in one or both breasts. You may have more swelling or lumps in one breast than the other. Your symptoms will probably be worse right before your period due to hormonal changes, but you may have symptoms throughout the month. The lumps in fibrocystic breasts tend to fluctuate in size throughout the month and are usually movable. But sometimes if there’s a lot of fibrous tissue, the lumps may be more fixed in one place. You may also experience pain under your arms. Some women have a green or dark brown discharge from their nipples.
What to expect?
If you have been diagnosed with breast cyst:
- Contact your GP if you notice a change in the way your breasts feel.