Health Library
Stay on top of your health and access your source of healthcare updates, wellness tips, and insightful information that will empower you to feel better.
Diagnosing Noncancerous (Benign) Breast Conditions
How are benign breast conditions and infections diagnosed?
To diagnose a breast condition, your healthcare provider will take your complete health history. Your provider may also:
Do a complete physical exam to:
Locate any lump and feel its features, such as texture, size, and relationship to the skin and chest muscles
Look for changes in the nipples or the skin of the breast
Check lymph nodes under the arm and above the collarbones
Request imaging tests, including:
Diagnostic mammography to look for masses and calcifications
Breast ultrasound to further evaluate information from the physical exam or mammography
MRI of the breast
Request a lab microscopic exam of nipple discharge if there is nipple discharge other than breastmilk
Request a ductogram X-ray or MRI ductogram of the nipples if there is nipple discharge other than breastmilk
Consider a hormonal evaluation if the nipple discharge is milky
Request a biopsy of tissue removed from the suspicious area
What are the different types of biopsy?
Image-guided biopsies. Those aided by ultrasound or other imaging techniques, including:
Fine needle aspiration. A very fine or thin needle is guided into the suspicious area. A small sample of the tissue is removed.
Core needle biopsy. A larger needle is guided into the lump to remove a small core (cylinder) of tissue.
Surgical biopsy. A surgical procedure is used to remove all or part of a lump.
Online Sources
Meet our Doctors


Friday, 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
See More

Friday, 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM
See More

See More
See More
Related Services
10% KOH
10% KOH SMEAR
17 OHP (17 HYDROXYPROGESTERONE)
Topics
- Adolescent Medicine
- Alcohol and Drugs
- Allergy
- Asthma
- Bariatrics
- Bone Cancer
- Brain Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Health
- Burns
- Cardiac Electrophysiology
- Cardiology
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Colorectal Cancer
- Colorectal Conditions
- Complementary Medicine
- Craniofacial
- Dermatology
- Diabetes
- Emergency Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Environmental Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Genetics
- Geriatrics
- GI Cancer
- Glossary
- Gyn Oncology
- Gynecology
- Hand Surgery
- Hematology
- Hepatology
- Home Health
- Hospice
- Immunology
- Infectious Disease
- Interventional Cardiology
- Journey Stage
- Lab Tests
- Lactation
- Lung Cancer
- Men's Health
- Mental Health
- Navigating Healthcare
- Neonatology
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Nuclear Medicine
- Nutrition
- Obstetrics
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Oral Health
- Orthopaedics
- Otolaryngology
- Pain Management
- Pathology
- Pediatrics
- Perinatology
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Plastic Surgery
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Health
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
- Pulmonary
- Radiology
- Rehabilitation
- Reproductive Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Safety
- Skin Cancer
- Sleep Disorders
- Spine
- Sports Medicine
- Stroke
- Surgery
- Terminal Illness
- Therapeutic Radiology
- Transplantation
- Travel Medicine
- Urologic Cancer
- Urology
- Vascular
- Wellness
- Women's Health
- Wound Care