The surgical management of pediatric breast masses

Abstract

Information regarding the surgical management of breast masses in the pediatric age group is sparse and is primarily directed at unusual neoplasms. We have reviewed the surgical treatment of 50 patients with inflammatory and neoplastic breast masses occurring in a 15-year period (1957 to 1973) at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. There were 42 girls and 8 boys, ranging in age from 12 days to 18 years. All patients had either surgical excision or incision and drainage of the masses with a subsequent histologic diagnosis. A variety of pathologic entities were encountered, but there were no primary malignancies. There were 33 patients with fibroadenomas, including four patients with multiple masses. Thirteen patients, six of whom were male, had cellulitis with an underlying breast abscess. The offending organism was gram-negative in one third of these abscesses. While none of the masses in this series were malignant, surgery was indicated to (1) establish diagnosis, (2) allay fears of patient, family, and referring physician, and (3) correct an obvious cosmetic deformity. Surgical drainage encouraged resolution of the inflammatory process, aided in the recovery of the organism, and assured appropriate drug therapy.