anyone with experience of Paget's disease?

[Cookie73]

Hi,
I recently noticed one of the 'pimples/lumps' on my areola was enlarged... after a few days it started to bleed. The day I went to the doctors to have it checked out I found a lump in the same breast. I have had problems with lumps over the years but all benign. After a week on antibiotics i went back to the doctor and the 'pimple' had mostly healed but the lump inside the breast remained. She also told me there is a lot of 'thickness' in my armpit. I have also had some pain going up into my armpit.

I am now waiting to have a scan (due in 2 weeks) but am concerned about possibly having paget's disease. The 'pimple' has gone pink now and today I noticed the skin on my areola near the pimple peeling. I also now have another patch on the same areola where the 'lumps' are swollen and sore looking. The skin isn't dry and smooth looking but shiny and sore looking.

I was wondering whether if anyone else has had similar experience? I am just going in for a scan on the lump but is it worth mentioning about the patches on my areola too? Should I be particulaly concerned?

[Linda1959]

I am 48 yrs. old and this week I was diagnosed with Paget's Disease.  I went in for a mammogram and let them know that I have been having a bloody discharge from my nipple and thought maybe it was from an injury.  My breast had been really itchy ( another symptom of the disease ) and thought maybe it was from that.  They did a ultrasound and nothing showed up on it or the mammo.  When the dr. saw my breast around the nipple area, he was very concerned and did a punch biopsy which confimed his suspisions.  I am scheduled for a breast MRI in Rochester MN at the Mayo clinic now.  The tumors or cells should show up there.   Then we will schedule surgery for a lumpectomy.  They will test my lymph nodes while I'm in surgery.  The bleeding and itchiness was the biggest symptom.  I did also have flakiness or what looked like dry skin around the areola.

[sharp77]

I have been dealing with what seemed like a rash on my areola for the last 3 months.  I first went to my Ob and when his treatments did not work he sent me to a dermatologist and breast surgeon.  I have been taking a steriod cream, but yesterday they did a punch biopsy b/c it still has not cleared up.  When I went to the breast surgeon, she told me she thought is was probably dermatitis b/c it was very unlikely that someone at my age, 29, could have paget's disease, which also has the same symptoms.   I am now worried b/c it is not the dermatitis that they once thought.  I am not waiting to hear my results from the biopsy.  

[Connie 1]

here's something i found online:
Presenting signs and symptoms in 50 patients with Paget's disease of the breast
Primary presenting signs and symptoms Number of patients (percentage)
Eczema or ulceration 17 (34 percent)
Discharge or bleeding 13 (26 percent)
Abnormal sensation (pain, pruritis, burning) 7 (14 percent)
Dermatitis (redness, swelling) 5 (10 percent)
Nipple inversion 3 (6 percent)
Breast mass only 5 (10 percent)

a scan sounds worthwhile since you have a lump.  any symptoms you have (patches on areola) are always worth mentioning to your doctor.  it's worth being concerned but not worried until a doctor tells you somethings wrong.