title: Mastalgia Due to Degenerative Changes of the Spine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mastalgia is a common and enigmatic condition; the cause and optimal treatment are still inadequately defined. Cervical radiculopathy, which is the result of cervical nerve root pathology often caused by spaceoccupying lesions such as cervical disc herniation, spondylosis, or osteophytosis, is frequently encountered in physical therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of vertebral pathologies in patients with non-cyclic mastalgia and the efficacy of conservative treatment of these pathologies on relieving breast pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients were included in the study, all with breast pain continuing throughout the day and lasting at least three months. Breast and axillary physical examinations, mammographic and/or ultrasonographic evaluations were normal in all the patients. The patients' pain levels were scored using a visual analog scale (VAS). Cervical and thoracic spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on all the participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 96 patients that had pathological findings on magnetic resonance imaging (96%), 49 women had diffuse annular bulging of the cervical spine, and 47 had cervical disc protrusion. Additionally, 12 patients had thoracic disc protrusion. At the end of the three-month period, the patients who were given only conservative treatment returned for follow-up evaluations. According to the VAS scores, five patients had mild to moderate improvement, 55 showed significant improvement, and 29 achieved complete remission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors concluded that if none of the known causes of breast pain are found in a patient, the patient should be evaluated for vertebral pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Okay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pirti
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aziz M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Barlas
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuru
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Temel
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Urhan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kismet
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasanoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059373:Mastodynia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: breast; mastalgia; vertebral pathology