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Cyclical breast pain – what works and what doesn’t

1992; BMJ; Volume: 30; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/dtb.30.1.1

1755-5248

Breast Implant and Reconstruction

Cyclical breast pain (cyclical mastalgia) is a common symptom. Most premenopausal women experience some degree of discomfort, ranging from 2–3 days premenstrual tenderness to severe pain affecting their quality of life. In one survey, 69% of well women over 35 attending for breast screening reported cyclical mastalgia sufficient to cause distress or interfere with their daily routine. 1 About 50% of patients attending breast clinics have breast pain. 2 After exclusion of breast pathology and other causes of pain unrelated to the breast, two-thirds have cyclical mastalgia and one-third non-cyclical pain or pain arising from the chest wall deep to the breast. 3 This article reviews existing treatments for cyclical mastalgia and draws attention to the continued use of drugs of no proven benefit.