Which breast condition is characterized by a smooth, well-circumscribed, non-tender, freely mobile rubbery lump that does not wax and wane with menstruation?

Which breast condition is characterized by a smooth, well-circumscribed, non-tender, freely mobile rubbery lump that does not wax and wane with menstruation?

• A. A single tender mass that waxes with menses
• B. Most common in African Americans; smooth, well-circumscribed, non-tender, freely mobile, rubbery lump; grows gradually; does not wax/wane with menstruation.
• C. A single solid fixed mass with skin dimpling
• D. Multiple cystic lesions that always regress after pregnancy

Answer: (B)

Fibroadenoma is a benign breast tumor that typically affects younger women. The hallmark on exam is a smooth, well-circumscribed, non-tender, freely mobile, rubbery lump. It usually grows gradually and does not change with the menstrual cycle, which helps distinguish it from fibrocystic changes that often worsen or fluctuate with menses. This lump is typically solitary and not fixed to skin or underlying tissues. The description provided—a smooth, well-defined, non-tender, mobile, rubbery lump that does not wax and wane with menstruation—fits fibroadenoma best. Fibrocystic changes, in contrast, tend to be tender and cyclic with menses; findings like a single fixed mass with skin dimpling suggest malignancy, and multiple cystic lesions that regress after pregnancy point away from a fibroadenoma.

Fibroadenoma is a benign breast tumor that typically affects younger women. The hallmark on exam is a smooth, well-circumscribed, non-tender, freely mobile, rubbery lump. It usually grows gradually and does not change with the menstrual cycle, which helps distinguish it from fibrocystic changes that often worsen or fluctuate with menses. This lump is typically solitary and not fixed to skin or underlying tissues.

The description provided—a smooth, well-defined, non-tender, mobile, rubbery lump that does not wax and wane with menstruation—fits fibroadenoma best. Fibrocystic changes, in contrast, tend to be tender and cyclic with menses; findings like a single fixed mass with skin dimpling suggest malignancy, and multiple cystic lesions that regress after pregnancy point away from a fibroadenoma.