Paget's disease of the breast

Paget's disease of the breast, also known as Paget's disease of the nipple, is a condition that outwardly may have the appearance of eczema- with skin changes involving the nipple of the breast. Usually only affecting one nipple, there may be redness, oozing and crusting and a sore that does not heal.

Paget's disease is caused by breast cancerand is present in about 2% of all breast cancers. It typically results when malignantcells from an underlying carcinomathat originated in the ducts of the mammary glandsspread to the epithelium.

Recommended tests are a mammogramand a biopsyto confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment usually involves some kind of mastectomyto surgically remove the tumour. Chemotherapyand/or radiotherapymay be necessary.

The condition is named after Sir James Paget, an English surgeonwho first described it in 1874.

External links

• National Cancer Institute fact sheetit:Malattia di Paget del capezzolo

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paget%27s+disease+of+the+breast Wikipedia article Paget's disease of the breast.