In adolescents and young women, most clinical manifestations involve minimally symptomatic fibrotic changes that usually involve the upper, outer quadrants of the breasts. Patients with proliferative breast changes have been treated with many modalities. In most adolescents, the symptoms are sufficiently mild not to require aggressive therapy. Supportive measures include well-padded brassieres in addition to mild analgesics. Although fibroadenomas are classified as benign neoplasms, they can almost be considered an aberration of normal development.
Common fibroadenomas are the most prevalent breast tumor found in adolescents on surgical reports.
Extensive reviews of fibroadenomas in adolescents have been published. Most Adolescents commonly discover fibroadenomas while bathing or during self-examination. The average duration of symptoms before diagnosis is 5 months. Fibroadenomas usually have a firm, rubbery feel on examination, are mobile, nontender, and have well-demarcated borders. These lesions are usually easy to differentiate from the surrounding breast tissue.