ORIGINAL REPORTS

Galactocele of the Breast in a Postmenopausal

Woman
Ken-ichi Shukunami, MD, Koji Nishijima, MD, Makoto Orisaka, MD, Kimihisa Tajima, MD, and
Fumikazu Kotsuji, MD

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukui Medical University, Fukui, Japan

KEY WORDS: galactocele, menopause, breast, ultrasound tal obstruction.5 In male infants and children, a galactocele may
be caused by the first mechanism. Transplacental passage of
Galactocele of the breast is cystic dilation of 1 or more milk
prolactin results in development of a galactocele in patients
ducts that are filled with milk. It is usually caused by a duct
with breast parenchyma that is highly sensitive to hormone.5
obstruction in young lactating women.1 In contrast, it is very
Galactoceles are caused by the third mechanism in lactating
unusual in older women.2 We report a galactocele of the breast
patients. In the present case, the galactocele appears to be
in a postmenopausal woman.
caused by the second mechanism—secretary breast epithelium.
A 56-year-old woman, para 4, visited our hospital with a
Benign breast masses such as galactocele, lactating adenoma,
chief complaint of a right breast mass that she had detected.
and fibroadenoma with lactational change have characteristic
Menopause occurred at 55 years of age. Physical examination
clinical presentations: They exhibit distinguishable cytologic
revealed an elastic, nontender, movable mass situated in the
features on aspiration. Although galactocele of the breast is
lower right quadrant of the right breast. Ultrasound revealed
generally detected during lactation or pregnancy, it can occur
that the cystic cavity contained a fluid level that tended to
postmenopausally.
remain horizontal in supine and upright positions. Mammog-
raphy revealed that the mass contained areas of water density
mixed with fat density in mediolateral projection. The mass was REFERENCES
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Correspondence: Inquiries to Ken-ichi Shukunami, MD, Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Fukui Medical University, Matsuoka-Cho, Yoshida-Gun, Fukui 910-1193, cause of breast enlargement in an infant. Plast Reconstr Surg.
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CURRENT SURGERY • © 2004 by the Association of Program Directors in Surgery 0149-7944/04/$30.00 319
Published by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.cursur.2003.11.005