282 female patients with histologically confirmed fibroadenomas (71), mastopathies (187) and breast carcinomas (24) were questioned for hormonal contraception. 144 women had taken oral steroid contraceptive pills, 138 denied such treatment. Statistically significant differences could not be observed in the occurrence of the breast diseases studied. Under hormonal contraception, fibroadenomas were found in 28% (without contraception in 22%), simple mastopathies in 41% (without in 40%), proliferative mastopathies in 22% (without in 30%) and mammary carcinomas in 9% (without in 8%) of the corresponding cases. The histological finding of a so-called apocrine metaplasia was found in all the diseases (except carcinomas) more frequent in the contraceptive group. Histometrically, the breast parenchyma showed a changing lobular hyperplasia under hormonal contraception in all the disease groups studied. An influence of questioned gynecological risk factors for a breast carcinoma was not striking in the women with and without hormonal contraception.
Adult Breast