[Evaluation and therapy of benign breast diseases]

The majority of women consulting a doctor because of breast symptoms, suffer of a benign breast disease. The variety of benign alterations and diseases may be troublesome. But the fact that the breast or parts of it can show all the alterations known from general pathology makes diagnosis easier. The breast symptom determines the diagnostic method to be used, but clinical examination remains the most important diagnostic tool. The most frequent symptom mentioned by patients is mastalgia. Especially in these cases, the doctor is challenged as diagnostician and as therapist.