title: How confounding are breast pain confounders?
abstract: Nine thousand four hundred evaluable patients with breast complaints were consecutively studied from 1984 to 1994. Their ages ranged between 15-65 years with a median of 33 years. Five thousand, six hundred and seventy-five of these presented on account of pain and a mass was the cause of pain in 74%. Gross fibrocystic disease of the breast was the commonest tumour encountered in this group. Seven hundred and thirty eight patients were found to have 'referred' pain, and splenomegaly was the commonest cause of this 'referred' pain. At present, a simple breast biopsy remains the cheapest and most effective method of investigating this organ in most developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Breast and Oncology Unit, Central Hospital Yaounde, Republic of Cameroon.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Bejanga
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Djukom
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bejanga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003906:Developing Countries; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology