Inverted Left Nipple
All- I am hoping to get some support and insight from all of you as I don't really have anyone to talk to. About 6 months ago I noticed my left nipple was inverted. It never had been in the past but just thought it was a sign of menopause or something (I am 52). A few months later i googled it and saw it was a potential symptom of beast cancer. I went to my doctor and had a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound which were both negative although it did indicate i have dense breasts. Since then I had a breast MRI that came back saying there were a few cysts that seemed benign. Still because it is unusual to have a nipple inverted that has always in the past be inverted, my doctor is recommending i go to a breast surgeon. Has anyone had a similar situation? Going to a breast surgeon is scary and it does seem odd that my nipple is now completely inverted when it did not used to be and the right one is not. Appreciate any inisght you all have.
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Hello Bear71,
I am sorry to hear about your situation. I feel I am in a similar situation with symptoms but clear mammo and ultrasound. I am curious as to what a breast surgeon will do as it seems you’ve already had several tests that have been negative. I’m still experiencing my symptoms and although they are less extreme than they were, they are still present and I don’t know what to do next. Did your doctor say what a breast surgeon could do that hasn’t already been done? I hope you get some answer soon and if you have a chance to reply I’d appreciate it.
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Hi bear71,
Sorry you are going through this. You are right to be concerned and to want this checked and to get a final answer. Something is pulling your nipple inwards, and you want to know what that is. Hopefully, there is a benign reason.
Screening can be useless when you have dense breasts. I had a 3D mammogram that came back clean, and a thorough breast exploration that was also clear, only to find myself a lump in my underarm three months later, this was breast cancer that had already spread to my lymph nodes. My cancer didn't show up in MRI, either. Hopefully you don't have cancer, but you want to have this checked and resolved, right?
Your mamogram and MRI results suggest that there is not there, there, but your inverted nipple says otherwise. Since dense breasts render mammo and MRI somewhat unreliable, they want the surgeon to take a look. The breast surgeon can order a biopsy of the area(s) of concern, and also rely on prior experience as to what looks like what, and order different screening tests or a repeat of the prior ones. So I think involving a surgeon is good news, hopefully you will get a resolution soon.
Don't be scared of having to go to the surgeon. At this point, that only means that your doctors want to do a thorough job looking at the cause of your inverted nipple. I loved my breast surgeon. He recently retired and he was fantastic and I will always remember him. He was always by my side!
Best of luck and keep us posted.
LaughingGull
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Anxious66 and Laughing Gull, thank you very much for your responses. It is nice not to feel so alone now.
Anxious66 i am sorry to hear you are having the same issues of not getting a diagnosis. I saw some of your old posts and it sounds like you have had swelling and pain for some time. I am so sorry for your pain and I hope you get a diagnosis. Have you thought of seeing a breast surgeon?
Laughing Gull: you are correct, my doctor suggested the surgeon as the tests i have done had not found a reason for the inverted nipple. So he wanted me to see a specialist who is an expert in breast cancer and will have better insight into why this may be happening and if it is cancer. My MRI said I also had two .5cm "probably benign" cysts, one in each breast. So not sure if that is a thing.
This is the first time i have ever had an issue like this. One thing i am surprised about is how long it takes to get a tests and a diagnosis. It took me a month to get a diagnostic mammogram (and i called about 10 different places), and almost a month to get a Breast MRI. And I live in a very big city. I never imagined it would take so long. It has been three months now with no diagnosis.
Thanks you to both of you for your helpful replies.
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Hi bear71
You are very welcome, dear.
Waiting a month for the diagnostic mammogram, and another month for the MRI does sound long. Do you know when you will be seeing the breast surgeon? Hopefully it will be soon.
Hang in there. The waiting is hard but you can do it. Try to organize activities that you like and help you stay distracted. Ask your doctor for anxiety medication if needed -these are the occasions those meds are there for.
Best,
LaughingGull
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Hi bear71 - I have not seen a breast surgeon. I’ve been to my internist and my gynecologist. I’ve had a breast exam, armpit exam, mammogram, and ultrasound - all said to be normal. My internist gave my armpit a good feel and said he felt no lumps or swollen lymph nodes. The ultrasound report stated normal lymph nodes and no issues within the breasts. After my ultrasound, my mom took a turn for the worst and had to go into hospice care so I put my issues aside to focus on her. Sadly she passed in mid September but I haven’t gone back for more tests as caring for my mom during her battle with lung cancer has left me pretty traumatized and unable to bring myself to make another appointment. I realize how ridiculous this sounds but I suffer from horrible anxiety which has been made worse due to caring for my mom and watching her literally disappear before my eyes. Anyway, I hope you get some answers soon and that the answer is nothing sinister.
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Hi bear71, I'm not sure where you're located, but it took about a month for me to get a mammogram in eastern Ontario. The diagnostic imaging places are really backlogged with mammograms etc..
I had the same issue with noticing an inverted nipple and I now have done a biopsy. I'm seeing a surgeon in a week. It appears to be IDC. I haven't received the final biopsy results so I don't know the stage yet.
It's worth following through on tests to get answers, and to catch anything serious as early as possible. Hoping it turns out for the better for you.
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All: Thank you for your kind words.
Anxious 66, I am so sorry about your mom, i had to take care of my mom when she passed from cancer so I know how terrible that is. It might be good to try a MRI if you have not had one. I was told they are more sensitive than a mammogram and mine found two small "probably benign" cysts that were not seen on mammogram or ultrasound. But whatever you do i hope you find resolution to your issues. I too have anxiety and having all these tests and waiting for results has made it worse.
Doodler, I am so sorry to hear that you are awaiting results of your biopsy. I hope all goes well and that you can keep your spirits up.
I have an appointment for a breast surgeon in two weeks so I will let everyone know the results.
Again thanks for all that have commented. It helps to hear from others and makes me feel like I am not alone in this.
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all- I wanted to provide an update as I saw the breast surgeon today. He looked at all my tests and said he did not see anything really wrong. I have to small cysts but the are .5cm and look benign. He recommended a follow up in 6 months to see if there are changes. It was a relief that he did not see anything. He said hormonal changes could have caused it but he still wants to check again in 6 months. Thank you for all who posted here to help me with my anxiety.
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@bear71, we're super glad to hear this, thank you for sharing! It is important to remember that not all situations lead to cancer.
Best wishes for continued good health
The Mods
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