A new radiological approach to cyclic mastalgia: venous doppler ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of the venous system in cyclical mastalgia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25 healthy women and 39 women with cyclic mastalgia underwent venous Doppler examination in both pre- and postmenstrual period. Upper-outer quadrant veins of breast were evaluated. The impedance indices of both groups were compared in both the premenstrual and postmenstrual period. RESULTS: During the premenstrual period, venous impedance indices were significantly higher in the patients with cyclic mastalgia (p=0.004) than in the control group. After the menstrual period, there was no difference in venous impedance indices between the groups. CONCLUSION: Excessive tissue oedema might be responsible for both a tension-mediated pain and a compression of the venous system thereby showing higher impedance than that in control group.