A Lump Without a Name

ThisIsFine

About two weeks ago, while showering, I decided to do a periodic check-in with my breast tissue. If I had to estimate, it's been a few (possibly as many as 6?) months since I've done any meaningful palpating.

Left breast, directly below my nipple I can feel what I can only describe as a cord-like structure. Slightly smaller than the width of a drinking straw, and...somewhat rubbery(?)--but still quite firm--it seems to be attached to the skin and extends back into my breast tissue. It feels as if it's between the skin and the breast tissue, although I think it disappears into the breast tissue, but not sure because I can't feel it. I have barely B cups, so there's not a lot of excess fatty (or breast) tissue to deal with anyway.

A small amount of puckering on the closest area of my nipple but it does adjust to temperature changes/massaging, and there's no dimpling when I move my arms up.

I'm posting because after pouring over SO MANY STORIES for SO MANY HOURS, I cannot find any description that adequately (or even remotely) matches what I'm feeling, benign or otherwise. Dr. Google can go kick rocks and all, but I expected to find SOME snippet of information that sounded similar.

A ligament? A vein? A duct??? Something?

I'm 28, almost 29, with no family history of any breast cancer, never been pregnant, and my breasts have never changed before outside of some very minor premenstrual sensitivity (i.e. I don't have a history of cysts or other conditions related to my cycle, presumably.)

I have an ultrasound in 8 days.

The info on DCIS makes it sound like it can cause a firmness in a duct, but that is literally all I can find, and I feel like that may be a stretch, given my age.

I'm also worried that they might not see whatever it is on an ultrasound, but I guess that's a story for another day.

*Edited to add: I'm definitely not looking for an armchair diagnosis, but talking about it seems to ease my anxiety, which is my primary goal here (and my fiance does not seem to be a good outlet as he struggles with anxiety/depression and this kind of discussion certainly does not go over well with him at this time).

Recap

Don't be bashful-speak up to the ultrasound tech about your specific interest in that area and make sure they move the wand over it enough to satisfy you. Breast techs tend to be female, and I personally feel they should speak with the patient about their self-exams, and feel whatever the pt wants to point out, before beginning a comprehensive entire breast evaluation, even if the mammogram result is supposed to be their guide. Don't be shortchanged. If I could do it over, I would have used a pen to mark dots on my skin.

I have something similar that I feel in same location on my right breast which I just assumed was the natural demarcation line crossing from arreola downwards to the breast proper, but once I knew the dimensions of my mass it occurred to me it might be the tail end of my skinny somewhat straight benign mass-whatever it is I can scrape my fingernail across lightly over its ridge (attached under but not attached above to the surface skin-my loose skin will slip over it if I don't use a light touch.)

ps there is something called Mondor's which is described like a cord, but google images shows some very unusual photos that might not be what you mean.

ThisIsFine

Recap, thanks for your reply. I definitely will use my time at the ultrasound to the fullest of my ability. I absolutely cannot have this in the back of my mind for the next who-knows-how-many-years. The obgyn I saw that ordered the ultrasound already made me feel rushed (which is unfortunate, but at this time I only needed her for the purpose of ordering the ultrasound), and I don't want to feel that way again--so thank you for the reinforcement.

I wonder if I was being dismissed because of my age : (

Oh, and the Mondor's; I spent a while reading about it and looking at pictures, and there's about a 5% similarity in any of the images I saw, and even less than that for a cause--no trauma, no surgery, etc.

djmammo

ThisIsFine

Any nipple discharge?

ThisIsFine

Nope, none. The only visible sign is a (very hard to notice) slightly raised area about the size of the tip of my pinky where this thing starts(?). No itchiness, redness, pain, sensitivity.

djmammo

ThisIsFine

Ultrasound should be very helpful. If need be they may do one or two mammo views to clarify what they seeing / not seeing. Keep us in the loop.

ThisIsFine

The crazy girl in me wants to say, "WHY?? Does it sound bad?!?! Do I need to be more worried?!?!"

I'm already terrified. The paranoia is just spectacular.

Thanks for your reply, I will update when I know more.

Hopefully after that I will retire this little username never to return.

djmammo

ThisisFine

No reason to worry yet. Would be unusual for this to be something bad at your age. Let us known what the imaging shows.

ThisIsFine

Ultrasound was completely normal. Did have quite a bit of difficulty finding this thing upon lying down because it seems to fall back into my breast tissue.

On that, the sonographer said,"Well that's a good sign because the bad stuff doesn't just disappear no matter which way you're laying."

Little skeptical about that, but alright.

The end verdict after the radiologist talked to me was "dense breast tissue". She described a sort of convergence between a tendon, fatty tissue, and breast tissue creating a ridge. She did show me the area of dense breast tissue they had images of. On the subject of being able to see a slight raised area on the skin, she said that was normal also; albeit, it is VERY slight.

I'm relieved, for sure. I've been walking around for a month on complete autopilot. But really? That's a thing? Where a tendon and fatty tissue meet can create something that palpable?

Why does the totally benign crap have to FEEL like not benign crap.

djmammo

ThisIsFine

Do you work in the health care field?

ThisIsFine

Nope, I don't. Why do you ask?