Calcium deposits in the breast can form due to damage, abnormal growths, or problems with milk ducts. They can be related to aging, injury, breast surgery, radiation therapy, or breast implants. Mammary duct ecstasia and mastitis are common underlying causes.
Calcium deposits in the breast, which are made up of clumps of calcium phosphate crystals and collagen, can form for a variety of reasons. They can be related to damage to the breast tissue, which can result from inflammation or injury, or simply be part of the aging process. Growths in the breast such as cysts or fibroadenomas, as well as ductal carcinoma in situ cancer cells, can cause calcium deposits. Problems that lead to blockages in the milk ducts, such as mammary duct ecstasia or mastitis, may also be to blame.
When breast tissue is damaged, there is an increased chance of calcium deposits developing in the breast. Women who have sustained physical injury or damage to one or both breasts, such as blunt force trauma, may be prone to contracting them. Breast surgery, in which incisions are made in the breast tissue that require stitches, can also promote calcifications. Those who have undergone breast cancer treatment and needed radiation therapy are sometimes prone to calcium deposits. Older women, especially those who have already gone through menopause, often tend to develop them when their breast tissue degenerates.
Another common cause of calcium deposits in the breast is abnormal breast growth. Calcifications may tend to form around cysts, which are benign, fluid-filled sacs that can form. Tumors known as fibroadenomas, which are firm, non-cancerous lumps in the breast, can also trigger their development. Another type of growth that can lead to calcium deposits is ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, which is a very early form of breast cancer that occurs in the milk ducts. Breast implants or other foreign bodies in the breast can also lead to calcification in nearby tissue.
Problems affecting the milk ducts are often the cause of calcium deposits in the breasts, particularly if the ducts become blocked and fluid builds up. The ducts under the nipples can dilate and thicken, causing fluid buildup, a condition known as mammary duct ecstasy and a common trigger of calcium deposits. Sometimes the ducts get blocked with milk when women first breastfeed their newborns, and those blockages can lead to an infection known as mastitis, another frequent underlying cause of calcifications. If the ducts become blocked by growths, cysts, or other foreign bodies, the same result can occur.
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