Breast

[ollieboo]

I had a mammogram in December and it was extrememly tight.  For a few weeks I had soreness under both arms.  The soreness eventually went away but about six weeks later I found a lump on my left breast.  The doctor aspirated it and it came out very dark and there was about 10cc of liquid.  He sent a sample off and the test came back inconclusive.  Unfortunately when he did the aspiration he broke a blood vessel and he said that the cyst could come back.  Unfortunaltely the lump did reappear and he sent me to a surgeon.  The surgeon aspirated it again and it again came out very dark but about maybe 1 or 2cc.  Since the first aspiration I have had pain under the left arm.  Unfortunately the lump has returned and the surgeon did another aspiration.  This time he said he was concerned that there was blood so he has scheduled surgery in a week. I have not had a sonogram. He said because he drained the fluid it might be hard to find.  Should I be concerned or what questions if any should I ask before the surgery? He seemed upset with me that I should question after four months why all of a sudden this seemed to be a problem. The mammogram did show many cysts in the test.  Can a mammogram break a cyst or injur a cyst to create this problem?

[surgeon]

If a lump has fluid in it, it's generally ok. However, when the fluid is bloody, it can sometimes be due to trauma, but the possiblitiy of tumor exists as well. So when a cyst aspiration returns bloody fluid, one has to decide how likely it is that the blood was from the procedure, or was there already. Sometimes waiting and re-aspirating makes sense. If it's still bloody, then at some point it needs to be removed to be absolutely sure the blood isn't there because of tumor. Ultrasound won't tell anything you don't already know: that the area is liquid. It won't tell why the blood is there.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear ollieboo:  Since this lump (cyst) is causing you so much trouble, it seems reasonable to have it removed.  He should not be upset that you asked a question.  This is an important part of understanding your care.  A mammogram should not necessarily cause the sort of trauma you describe.  However, it is possible that it could have caused damage.  Hopefully, your upcoming surgery will help to solve the problem more permanently for you.