What is Mondor’s disease?
Mondor’s disease can occur after various breast operations(breast augmentation, breast reduction, etc.). It is a thrombosis or more precisely a thrombophlebitis (thrombosis with irritation) of the superficial veins in the breast. This means that blood clotting has occurred in the veins during the operation. This can occur, for example, due to the closure of the veins during hemostasis (sclerotherapy or ligation).
Which symptoms are typical?
The symptoms of Mondor’s disease are characterized by hardened, easily palpable and painful cords. These are occluded chest veins. They mainly occur in the lower half of the chest. The skin can retract in the area of these cords. The pain can be very severe in the initial phase (first few days) of Mondor’s disease and then gradually decreases.
How is Mondor’s disease treated?
There is no specific treatment for Mondor’s disease. The symptoms disappear on their own after a few weeks. However, it is possible to alleviate the symptoms with the following measures:
- Cooling with cold compresses or ice packs.
- Painkillers – Mondor’s disease responds well to anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and platelet aggregation inhibitors.
In the end, the Mondor strands adhere and scar and usually leave no symptoms.
