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What Causes Pain Under Armpit And Arm Heaviness?

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Posted on Wed, 2 Sep 2015
Question: Hi Doctor,

Hope you are having a good day.

On July 28, I felt pain under armpit and arm heaviness. I went to a Gynaecologist. She said I have a bacterial infection of the armpit hair shafts. She prescribed antibiotic (Cefurxime/Axetil) 500 mg every 12 hours for 7 days, Cream, and alcohol swabs. Within two days I felt much better and within 4 days the pain is gone.

Because I worked as a volunteer graphic designer with non-profit breast cancer organization to fight and prevent breast cancer in Saudi Arabia as it is the #1 cancer in my country. I knew that pain in armpit and axillary swelling could be related to breast cancer, so I asked the doctor for breast ultrasound to make sure there's nothing in my breasts.
I had 2 ultrasounds

The first one showed:
- Normal external boundaries of both breasts, showing normal skin, nipple and areola. Normal smooth texture of the subcutaneous fat.

- Well-defined small oval mass measures 13x10 mm seen in the upper quadrant of the right breast at 12 o'clock. The mass shows heterogenous mainly echotexture with no degeneration or calcifications. The mass gives no posterior acaustic shadowing.
- The remaining breast tissue has diffuse dense texture.
- No abnormal calcifications could be seen. No intramammary enlarged lymph glands.
- Normal retromammary layers and normal visualized parts of the pectoralis muscles.
- Normal axillart tao; at both sides with bilateral enlarged lymph nodes with preserved hilum & no pathological change seen. The largest seen at right axilla measure 19x9mm.

Conclusion:
A right breast mass highly suggestive for fibroadenoma for excision and biopsy

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After 4 days I had an appointment with surgeon and he asked for second ultrasound. it showed well-defined hypoechoic focal lesion of 16x10 mm in size seen at at 12 o'clock 3 cm from the nipple suggesting fibroadenoma for FNA biobsy.
- Both breasts show highly reflective breast parenchymal echotexture predominantly glandular pattern.
- No dilated ducts.
- Bilateral axillary few lymph nodes the largest is seen in the right axilla measuring 21x7 mm. All are typical in appearance suggesting reactionar lymph nodes.

IMPRESSION:
- Right breast focal lesion suggesting fibroadenoma for biopsy.
- Bilateral Breast fibroadenosis.
- Bilateral axillary reactionary lymph nodes.

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- I had biopsy on August 8.

Results of the biopsy:

Gross Appearance:
Specimen consists of two cores of grayish white tissue measuring together 1.5x0.1 cm. Submitted in toto (all/1)

Histology:
Breast Glandes surrounded by a fibrous stroma.

Diagnosis:
This picture is consistent with PHYLLODES TUMOUR

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- I had a new ultrasound yesterday:

- Normal external boundaries of both breasts, showing normal skin, nipple and areola. Normal smooth texture of the subcutaneous fat.

- well-defined small oval mass measures 15x13x10 mm seen in the upper quadrant of the right breast at 12 o'clock. The mass shows heterogenous mainly echotexture with no degeneration or calcifications. The mass gives no posterior acaustic shadowing.
- The remaining breast tissue has diffuse dense texture.
- No abnormal calcifications could be seen. No intramammary enlarged lymph glands.
- Normal retromammary layers and normal visualized parts of the pectoralis muscles.
- Normal axillary tail at both sides with no enlarged lymph nodes.

Conclusion:
Relatively Stationary coarse of the breast mass as described
Wrong Specialty
Please ignore this question
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Needs surgical removal.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The findings of your recent ultrasound scan are suggestive of a benign tumor in the right breast. It seems only a part of this mass was removed during biopsy.
This is a phyllodes tumor as per the biopsy.
Whether phyllodes tumors are benign, borderline, or malignant, the treatment is the same: surgery to remove the tumor, along with at least 1 centimeter of surrounding healthy breast tissue.
Since recurrence is common it is best to get it removed surgically.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Practicing since :1994

Answered : 12314 Questions

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What Causes Pain Under Armpit And Arm Heaviness?

Brief Answer: Needs surgical removal. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for posting your query. The findings of your recent ultrasound scan are suggestive of a benign tumor in the right breast. It seems only a part of this mass was removed during biopsy. This is a phyllodes tumor as per the biopsy. Whether phyllodes tumors are benign, borderline, or malignant, the treatment is the same: surgery to remove the tumor, along with at least 1 centimeter of surrounding healthy breast tissue. Since recurrence is common it is best to get it removed surgically. I hope this answers your query. In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr. Praveen Tayal. For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal