Mammary masses in the adolescent female

Disease of the breast is uncommon in the adolescent female. Of 25,650 surgical specimens examined at The Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago from 1974 through 1985, only 40 lesions were of adolescent breast origin in females. The ages of the patients ranged from 12 to 22 years. The most common lesion was fibroadenoma (19) followed by gigantomastia and cystosarcoma phyllodes. A malignant lesion is rare in this age group and both instances in this series had predisposing factors (for example, prior regional radiation in childhood). The findings of this study, plus that of the literature reviewed, emphasize conservative treatment with observation followed by simple excision when the patient nears completion of the development of the breast in most instances.