Pathologie mammaire de l'enfant

Breast diseases in the paediatric population are sometimes nothing more than a physiological dysregulation, necessitating only close watch over. The three main anatomical parts of the breast are the areola and three nipple skin, the acinotubular gland and the conjunctival tissue. Each of them is on hormonal dependence and may be, at different times of the life, modified by different stimulation owing to a transient and benign disorder. Some other diseases, benign in most of the cases, may exist, and different diagnoses can be discussed, based on the patient's age, clinical, ultrasonographic, and progression data, and on epidemiological findings. The authors review the different clinical situations, underlining the fact that despite the rareness of malignant tumours, their existence is sometimes to be considered, with the related necessity of histopathological examination.