Patient characteristics and age‐dependent sub‐populations in severe fibrocystic breast disease—the Hjørring project

. This study aimed at providing a detailed anam‐nestic, clinical, and mammographical characterization of 109 patients with fibrocystic breast disease, who were selected on the basis of pronounced mastodynia, prominent palpable structure and mammographical confirmation of the clinical diagnosis. Since these patients were selected for subsequent therapy, and most of them also underwent various hormonal investigations, accurate differential diagnosis was considered essential. Therefore, X‐ray mammography was supplemented as required with adenography, galactography, and aspiration of cysts followed by aerography. Additionally, the results for most study variables were recorded by means of standardized scoring systems. On the basis of this characterization, three diagnostic sub‐groups of fibrocystic disease could be distinguished: 20 patients with prominent glandular structure but no visible cysts (group A), 43 patients with prominent glandular structure as well as small (<1 cm) cysts (group B), and 46 patients with both small and large (≥ 1 cm) cysts. The three groups differ significantly in mean age (33.1±5.5 (SD), 39.2±4.9, and 43.7±4.6 years in groups A, B, and C, respectively). There was a significant trend towards increasing duration of breast complaints, and patients with a history of >5 years account for 45, 65, and 74% in groups A, B, and C, respectively. Moreover, most of the study variables, viz. mastodynia, palpable structure, amount of glandular tissue, non‐cystic nodularity, small cysts, duct ectasia, nipple discharge, and fibrosis, also tended to increase significantly in intensity and/or frequency from group A to B to C. These findings strongly support the view that fibrocystic breast disease is a benign progressive process and that the three diagnostic sub‐groups represent different stages of this condition.