Mammalogy

Mammology is a branch of medicine that studies the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the mammary glands, diagnoses pathological processes occurring in the mammary glands, and treats and prevents the occurrence of these diseases.

A specialist who represents this area of medicine is a mammologist.

Symptoms that require you to see a mammologist:

• redness of the mammary glands;
• change in size;
• appearance of compacted areas;
• discharge from the nipples;
• pain in the mammary glands;
• pain in the armpit area;
• retraction of the nipples;
• asymmetry of the mammary glands glands;
• engorgement of the mammary glands;
• a feeling of discomfort in the chest area.

Diseases that mammology studies:

• tumor formations of the mammary glands (cancer, sarcoma, lipoma, fibroadenoma);
• congenital anomalies in the development of the mammary glands;
• inflammatory diseases of the mammary glands (mastitis);
• diseases associated with hormonal status disorders (mastopathy, gynecomastia, fibrocystic disease).

Diagnostics and treatment measures in mammology

For successful treatment, a number of diagnostic procedures should be undergone:

• ultrasound of the mammary glands glands;
• CT and MRI of the chest;
• mammography;
• biopsy material examination;
• scintigraphy;
• ductography (study of the patency of the ducts of the mammary gland);
• if there is discharge from the nipple, a smear is taken for subsequent cytological examination;
• puncture of the compacted area of the breast under ultrasound control.

After conducting diagnostics, the mammologist establishes a diagnosis of the disease with subsequent prescription of treatment, and also conducts a consultation on the prevention of diseases of the mammary glands.