Breast Fat Necrosis

Key Features

• Rare

• In the past, most fat necrosis was seen after trauma, but now fat necrosis is commonly seen after fat injections to augment breast size or fill defects after breast surgery

• Also occurs after breast surgery, segmental resection, radiation therapy, or postmastectomy flap reconstruction

Clinical Findings

• Breast mass

• Often associated with skin or nipple retraction

• Usually indistinguishable from cancer even with imaging studies

Diagnosis

• Core needle biopsy usually adequate for diagnosis

• Differential diagnosis

  • Breast cancer

  • Fibroadenoma

  • Breast abscess

  • Fibrocystic condition of breast

  • Paget disease of the breast

Treatment

• If untreated, mass gradually disappears