What Causes Fibrocystic Breast Disorder?
The breast is made up of fatty tissue filled with pockets called lobes, each of which contains many smaller pockets called lobules. After a woman gives birth, these lobules produce milk if she chooses to breast-feed the baby. As a woman goes through her menstrual cycle, the body releases hormones that cause the pockets in the breast to enlarge and hold extra fluid. At the end of the cycle, this swelling disappears, but fluid can sometimes get trapped in these openings. Over time, cysts can form. Fibrocystic breast disorder usually affects women between the ages of 30 and 50. The lumps often are especially noticeable before and during menstruation. When a woman reaches her 50s or 60s and stops menstruating, her symptoms usually disappear as well.
