Scar Tissue or Lump

by Andrea
(U.S.)

Hi There, Seven years ago I found a lump in my right arm, and was seen by a breast surgeon. It turns out it was a fibroadenoma and was taken out. The other day I was doing a self breast exam and where the scar is, that is near the armpit, I thought I felt a lump. It feels hard and moveable. Went to my general doctor and he said he did not feel anything and sent me for an ultrasound, and the technician did not feel or see any lump. My period started five days ago, and my right breast is swelling, and extremely tender. Normally, I have swollen and tender breasts before my period, and when it starts it subsides, but it feels pretty swollen and heavy. I had a baby on March 22nd. I mainly feed her formula and still breastfeed. I still feel the lump. The ultrasound technician was saying maybe it is scar tissue.

If it was, wouldn't this show up on the ultrasound?
Is it possible the ultrasound could miss a lump?
Is scar tissue supposed to be still there after 7 years?
How does one distinguish between scar tissue and lump because they feel the same to me. I know the evidence points to no lump but I just feel something is not right.
what do you suggest I do?

Breast Lump

Hi Andrea, thanks for getting in touch about your breast lump worries. This is perfectly natural to be concerned and it is good that you are self examining yourself and a good advert for other women to do the same too.

The lump that you are now feeling could be scar tissue. Ultrasound is a good tool, but when you are talking about scar tissue, you are looking at similar density to other tissues in the breast so it won’t necessarily show up. Scar tissue would remain always in the same way as a skin scar. Ultrasound sends sound waves through the breast tissue and measures the deflection of these waves according to the density of the tissue it “hits”. This is why it is used to pick up abnormal tissue as the density is different and therefore reflects differently.

Scar tissue is usually fixed, but you are feeling a movable lump. Movable lumps are usually fibroadenomas and are sometimes known as “breast mice” for that very reason. You are breast feeding and this can accentuate the glandular tissue in the breast, so the breast lump you are feeling may just be glandular. Tenderness of the breast is common in breastfeeding women and you have probably been over examining your breast too which can cause soreness.

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish breast lumps whether they be scar tissue, fibroadenomas, glandular tissue or cancer. The ultrasound is reassuring, but they are only as good as the person that’s doing your scan. They are not 100%, nothing ever is. You are clearly worried and need to discuss this with your doctor. Ask to be referred back to either have a further scan with a different ultrasonographer or even to have a different imaging technique to check. In my experience, woman are much more likely to pick up small abnormalities than any doctor in this situation.

My name is Dr Peter Thatcher MBBS, MRCPI and I am a consultant physician and gastroenterologist in the UK. I have an interest in internet based medicine and administer this site in my spare time. I hope you find this site useful and informative. If you have any suggestions, please Contact Me or if you would like to comment on my site, please do so by Clicking Here. If you like the site and would like to make a donation to support what I am doing please do so by Clicking Here. Thank you for visiting and please drop by again!