Mastalgia is breast pain. There are 2 types:
In some people, the cause is unknown.
The pain can be caused by:
Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:
The main symptom is pain in the breast area. Pain may be mild or severe. It may be in both breasts or just one. It may be painful only in one spot or all over.
You will be asked about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. It will focus on your breasts. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.
Images may need to be taken to look for any breast changes. This can be done with:
Treatment will be based on what is causing the pain. Options are:
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org
Office on Women's Health—US Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.womenshealth.gov
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
http://sogc.org
Women's Health Matters
https://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/
Mastalgia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/mastalgia. Accessed October 19, 2020.
Salzman B, Fleegle S, et al. Common breast problems. Am Fam Physician. 2012 Aug 15;86(4):343-349. EBSCOhost full-text, editorial can be found in Am Fam Physician 2012 Aug 15;86(4):325.
Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Elliot M. Levine, MD, FACOG