Intramammary lymph node of the breast - what is it?

If during the diagnosis of the breast, in conclusion, doctors write about an intramammary lymph node, what is it, most often women do not know. Let's try to understand this issue and tell you what this phenomenon can testify.

What is meant by intramammary lymph nodes?

These lymphatic formations belong to the group of axillary or, as they are called, the assimilation lymph nodes. Normally they are not visualized. However, with the development of inflammatory processes, they increase dramatically in size, which is confirmed by the performed mammography.

What are the causes of inflammation of the intramammary lymph node of the breast?

As is known from anatomy, the main direction of outflow of lymphoid fluid is axillary, sub- and supraclavicular lymph nodes. That is why, in the inflammatory process in the mammary gland, the intramammary lymph node, which refers to the axillary, primarily reacts.

As a rule, he is visualized in the outer part of the upper chest of the breast. In the picture, the doctor notices a small, rounded shape of the shadow, which in the center has small areas of enlightenment. The bright areas on the mammogram are nothing more than the accumulation of fat cells.

If we talk directly about the causes of this phenomenon, the doctors in the first place note:

• mastitis;
• mastopathy;
• tumor-like formations.

As is known, mastitis in its majority occurs after the birth of children and during breastfeeding. Pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, Proteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa are the causative agents of this disease.

Mastopathy is a disorder in which the glandular tissue changes, which in turn is reflected in the state of the lymphoid system of the woman's body.

Intramammary lymph node of the breast on a mammogram - is it dangerous?

First and foremost, it should be noted that doctors must determine the cause of its occurrence without fail.

In order to exclude a malignant process in the mammary gland, a woman can be assigned a biopsy of the glandular tissue of the breast.

The very phenomenon of an increase in this lymph node can be regarded as a symptom of a violation in the female body. Therefore, it is impossible to say that the intramammary lymph node of the breast is cancer.

Treatment with an increase in the intramammary lymph node of the breast

The therapeutic process depends entirely on the cause that led to the disorder. As it was said above, in most cases it is inflammatory processes of the breast. That is why the treatment does not do without the appointment of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory drugs.