A galactocele is a retention cyst containing milk or a milky substance that is usually located in the mammary glands. They can occur in women during or shortly after lactation. They present as a firm mass, often subareolar, and are caused by the obstruction of a lactiferous duct.
Treatment / Management
A galactocele is a sterile collection that resolves spontaneously on cessation of lactation after the hormonal change associated with pregnancy and lactation is ceased. Lactating women - Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration is both diagnostic and therapeutic in most cases.
Galactoceles can be caused by any etiology that blocks a breast duct during lactation, but, in most cases, it is the result of a benign condition. Galactoceles are similar to ordinary cysts, but, instead of clear fluid, they contain milk. They can mimic fibroadenoma, carcinoma, and other breast masses [3].
Sonographically, galactoceles typically will appear to be well marginated, having a round or oval shape. Galactoceles may also exhibit internal echoes. The presence of these echoes is caused by the fatty, milky material associated with nursing and breastfeeding.
A galactocele is a milk containing cystic enlargement of a mammary gland caused by a blocked milk ducts. Due to the blockage, the areas of the breast become firm and painful.
Galactoceles can mimic fibroadenoma or breast carcinoma, but they are always benign and do not increase the risk of breast cancer in any way.
Once infection is ruled out, often hot compresses and massage is recommended, along with a properly fitted bra, and instruction in good breast feeding techniques. Taking lecithin and rubbing it on the nipple, as well as reducing fat intake in the diet has also been shown to be effective.
These cysts may rupture leading to formation of inflammatory reaction and may mimic malignancy. Once lactation has ended the cyst should resolve on its own without intervention. A galactocele is not normally infected as the milk within is sterile and has no outlet through which to become contaminated.
A galactocele is a retention cyst caused by lactiferous duct occlusion. They feel like ordinary cysts but they contain milk instead of just clear fluid. While they can be uncomfortable, they are not dangerous. Percutaneous aspiration is performed in order to diagnose the lesion.
Galactoceles are milk retention cysts that primarily occur during or shortly after lactation. The typical presentation includes a firm nontender or mildly tender breast mass. Ultrasound is the preferred modality to evaluate palpable breast masses in lactating patients.
A galactocele can vary in size from small (1–2 cm) to very large (>10 cm) and may fluctuate during the day being smaller after a breastfeed (Mitchell et al, 2022). The galactocele feels like a smooth, round, moveable sac inside the breast. It is not usually painful or tender.
Piperacillin-tazobactam and daptomycin are alternative antibiotics that are safe and effective during lactation. Explantation is the definitive treatment for implant exposure, purulent drainage of fluid, and infections resistant to antibiotics.
Additionally, galactoceles often change size (sometimes filling up, sometimes getting smaller). Duration. Clogged ducts are usually cleared with a day or two, or they progress to mastitis. Galactoceles can last weeks.
A galactocele is a benign cystic lesion that generally occurs during late pregnancy and lactation. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) reveals a milky fluid, which is diagnostic as well as therapeutic.
Macroscopically, the milk within the galactocele may appear white and of usual viscosity if fresh, or thickened if the liquid is older.
Signs and symptoms: A hard area in the breast, that does not change in size significantly after the breast is emptied. Usually painless. Diagnosis: sonogram shows fluid filled cyst.
Fine-needle aspiration may be used to diagnose and treat a breast cyst if all the fluid can be removed from the cyst during the procedure, and then your breast lump disappears and your symptoms resolve. For some breast cysts, however, you may need to have fluid drained more than once. Recurrent or new cysts are common.
In most cases, you don't need treatment. Simple breast cysts don't cause any harm and sometimes even go away on their own. If the cyst is uncomfortable, your healthcare provider can drain the fluid from it with a needle.
Warm compress: Applying a warm compress to the affected breast can help reduce pain and swelling associated with galactoceles. A warm shower or bath can also be helpful in reducing discomfort. Breast massage: Massaging the breast gently can help to clear the blockage in the milk duct and promote milk flow.
A breast cyst often feels like a grape or a water-filled balloon, but sometimes a breast cyst feels firm. Breast cysts don't require treatment unless a cyst is large and painful or uncomfortable. In that case, draining the fluid from a breast cyst can ease symptoms.
“Fat globules” in milk are actually biofilm formation from bacteria, cholesterol/lipids in the milk, and general ductal debris (dead cells), usually in the setting of hyperlactation (oversupply) and dybiosis (imbalance of breastmilk microbiome).
One unique characteristic of galactoceles is that they often occur just after a person has discontinued breastfeeding. These cysts can feel hard or soft and can be easily moved around inside the breast. They are typically larger than plugged milk ducts, and they may or may not be painful.
Galactocele is usually presented as a painless breast enlargement with a fluctuant, soft, mobile, and non-tender mass in the breast. It is a rare disorder in the male pediatric age group, with only 31 cases reported in the literature.
Studies have reported cysts in up to 50% of women who attend breast clinics. Cysts can develop in women of any age. They are most common in the 30–50 year age group. They usually disappear after menopause, but in some women they can last throughout life.