AHMET ATICI, MEHMET EMİN ÇELİKKAYA, İNAN KORKMAZ, BÜLENT AKÇORA
Çocuk Cerrahisi Dergisi - 2022;36(3):6-11
Objective: Although malignancy is very rare in paediatric breast lesions, the presence of breast swelling is generally worrying for patients and their families. Breast masses affect approximately 2% to 3% of females in childhood . However, the rate of breast swelling associated with normal pubertal development in children admitted to hospital with a complaint of breast swelling is unknown. This study aimed to retrospectively examine the diagnoses of children presenting with a complaint of breast swelling. Methods: A retrospective sample comprising the medical case records of paediatric patients (N=50; male:13; female: 37; mean age: 13.2 years old) admitted to the Mustafa Kemal University hospital with a complaint of breast swelling between April 2017 and December 2021 was included in the study Results: For males, the most common cause of breast swelling was normal pubertal development (53.8 %; n=7), followed by gynecomastia (30.7%; n=4), and neonatal breast hypertrophy (15.3%; n=2). For females, the most common cause of breast swelling was a mass in the breast (35.1%; n=13), followed by a breast cyst (16.2%; n= 6), normal pubertal development (29.8%; n=11), and finally asymmetric breast development (18.9%; n=7). The majority of cases (86%; n=43) were treated conservatively; the remainder (14%; n=7) underwent surgical treatment. Conclusion: There is a wide spectrum of diagnoses in children presenting with a complaint of breast swelling, most of them are benign. It should be kept in mind that anxious patients who present with a complaint of breast swelling may only be experiencing normal pubertal development. Although all the patient cases examined in the present study involved benign masses, it is important to plan diagnosis and treatment without delay to ensure the early diagnosis of malignant diseases.
