A breast cyst is a fluid-filled sac, like a tiny balloon, inside the breast. Breast cysts are common in women. They can cause a little pain, but they are usually benign (not cancer).
In breast cyst aspiration, your doctor uses a small needle to make sure that the breast lump is a cyst, and to drain fluid from the cyst.
A breast lump that you can feel might hurt or make you worry about cancer. Breast cyst aspiration can help your doctor tell if the lump you feel is a cyst or a solid mass. Aspiration gives you this information right away, so you don’t have to wait for a mammogram or ultrasound exam.
Your doctor might numb your skin first. Then, using a needle and syringe, your doctor will try to drain fluid from the breast lump.
If the lump is a cyst that contains watery fluid, but not blood, and the cyst goes away after aspiration, you will not need other tests.
If the fluid is bloody, your doctor will send the fluid to a lab to see what it is. If the lump in your breast is solid or contains bloody fluid, your doctor will send you to a surgeon for a biopsy. The biopsy involves the removal of a tiny bit of the lump. The bit of tissue is examined in a lab to see what it is.
Breast cyst aspiration is performed at our Capitol Imaging Services affiliate, Diagnostic Imaging Services, in their location at 4241 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Suite 100, in Metairie, LA. Call 504-883-5999 or 985-641-2390 to speak directly to a Diagnostic Imaging Services call center associate. Or, click here to send us a secure email requesting appointment assistance.
Capitol Imaging Services is the largest independent radiology practice of its type serving the southeastern United States. Not only do we perform the scan, such as an MRI or ultrasound, but we also provide the radiology expertise to review test images and issue important findings to physicians and other healthcare providers.
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