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[Diagnosis and treatment of breast lumps in children]
Jing-ruo Li1, Meng-quan Li, Jian-zhang Li
1Department of Breast Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
Insights
Pediatric breast lumps often resolve naturally without intervention. Benign tumors typically have good outcomes post-surgery, while malignant cases remain rare and challenging to predict.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Oncology
- Pediatrics
Context:
- Breast lumps in children are uncommon but require accurate diagnosis and management.
- Understanding the different etiologies, including physiological masses, benign tumors, and rare malignant conditions, is crucial.
Purpose:
- To review the diagnosis and treatment strategies for breast lumps in pediatric patients.
- To analyze clinical data from children treated for breast masses between 2001 and 2006.
Summary:
- Physiological breast masses in children generally do not require treatment and often resolve spontaneously within two years.
- Benign breast tumors in children have favorable outcomes after surgical resection, with a low recurrence rate.
- Malignant breast tumors are rare in children, and their prognosis remains difficult to predict, with one leiomyosarcoma case resulting in mortality.
Impact:
- Provides evidence-based guidance for managing pediatric breast lumps.
- Highlights the importance of conservative management for physiological masses and surgical intervention for benign tumors.
- Emphasizes the rarity and poor prognosis associated with malignant breast tumors in children.
Objective:
To summarize the diagnosis and treatment of breast lumps in children.
Methods:
The clinical data of 61 children with breast lumps, 20 with physiological breast masses, 5 male and 15 female, aged 1 - 14, 38 with benign tumors, 1 male and 37 female, aged 10 - 14, 3 with malignant tumors, aged 7 months, and 10 and 13 years. diagnosed and treated 2001 - 2006 were analyzed.
Results:
The 20 cases of physiological masses did not undergo any treatment and were followed up for 2 years. The masses disappear by itself within one year in 17 cases, disappear within 2 years in 2 cases, and remained the same size in 1 case. The 38 cases with benign tumors all underwent resection, 36 cases were cured and 2 cases recurred. Recurrence was not seen in 2 of the 3 cases of malignant breast tumors, and the patient of leiomyosarcoma died one year after the operation.
Conclusion:
Physiological breast masses in children needn't treatment; mostly enjoy spontaneous cure. The outcomes of benign breast tumors in children are good after operation. Malignant breast tumor is rare, and it is still difficult to predict its prognosis now.