Management of Benign Tumors of the Adolescent Breast

After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Describe the differential diagnosis of breast tumors in adolescent girls. 2. Compare and contrast surgical options for the management of adolescent breast tumors. 3. Recognize the utility of a reduction mammaplasty technique when resecting these larger tumors in adolescents. Although 99 percent of breast lesions in female adolescents are benign tumors, surgical intervention is commonly required. This article reviews the differential diagnosis, evaluation, and management of these benign tumors. A modified surgical technique for resection of large fibroadenomas and reconstruction of the remaining breast is described. The authors review the approach to five specific breast lesions: fibroadenomas, phyllodes tumors, juvenile hypertrophy, inflammatory processes, and premature breast development.