What Causes A Radiating Pain In Lower Left Breast And Ribs?

Posted on Sun, 20 Mar 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 20 Mar 2016 Answered on

Thu, 26 May 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : Over the past week, a pain developed on the lower left breast. I am big busted and the pain kind of radiates from the rib under by breast to my breast. If I touch it I can feel a swollen duct or something of that sort. It pains when I touch it and when I remove and put on my bra. Sometimes I feel it better to just leave my bra out cause that is how much it pains. Now this is just in my left breast-the right one is normal. When I sleep and when I toss and turn and when my breast sways from one side to the other, this pain is felt. It is like someone is holding a spear against my skin from the inside. What could it be? Do I need to be concerned?

Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (55 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
As described below

Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query and an elucidate history.
Noted the pain kid of radiates from the rib under breast to breast and feeling of a swollen duct like thing.
The probable reasons can be as follows:
- Costochondritis in which there is inflammation of the ribs and can cause such symptoms as you have noted.
- Fat necrosis also can present like this.
- Idiopathic superficial thrombophlebitis in which one gets inflammation of the vein of the chest/breast area and as the name suggest the exact cause is not known.

This can be confirmed by clinical evaluation and examination by a General Surgeon so that a proper diagnosis and treatment can be instituted.

I hope this answer helps you to get an early ad proper diagnosis and treatment, please feel free to ask for further relevant queries if you feel that there is a gap of communication.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar