Breast disorders in pregnant and lactating women

Abstract

The breast undergoes extensive changes during pregnancy and lactation that can create diagnostic challenges. This article reviews the anatomy of the breast, breast changes associated with pregnancy and lactation, and breast imaging techniques for pregnant and lactating women. Various benign breast conditions in this patient population also are discussed, such as lactating adenomas, galactoceles, and granulomatous mastitis. Finally, pregnancy-associated breast cancer is presented, including its epidemiology, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and prognosis.