Cysts are usually found in both breasts. Cysts show up clearly on ultrasound, an exam using sound waves to produce a picture of tissues inside the breast. Cysts are usually handled by observation or by withdrawing fluid with a needle. This procedure is called a fine-needle aspiration. Usually, these solid, round lumps are painless and most often found by women themselves.
Fibroadenomas feel rubbery and can be moved around easily.
They are the most common type of tumors in women in their late teens and early twenties, and they occur twice as often in African-American women as they do in other American women. Although fibroadenomas do not become malignant, they can enlarge with pregnancy and breast-feeding. Most surgeons believe that it is a good idea to remove fibroadenomas to make certain they are benign. This condition typically occurs in obese women with very large breasts. Fat necrosis often develops in response to a bruise or blow to the breast, even though a woman may not remember having been injured.