Clinical and ultrasound features of Mondor's disease of the breast: a case series

Abstract

Objective: Mondor's disease (MD) is a rare disease, more commonly known as thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the anterior chest wall. Patients with Mondor's disease, usually middle-aged women, have a cord-like, subcutaneous tender induration with or without infiltration of the skin and subcutaneous tissue that tends to resolve on its own within three to four weeks. However, these cases are fairly rare and the lack of clear diagnostic criteria makes them often misdiagnosed. In 50–60% of cases, no cause is identified (primary idiopathic disease), and in 40–50% of cases, some factors may be present, such as pregnancy or breast cancer. We aimed to demonstrate case series of MD of the breast, as a replenishment of the clinical base of this pathology. Methods: All patients underwent clinical examinations and breast sonography with triplex Doppler. Results: We described the clinical and sonographic picture of thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the mammary glands in 5 patients with an idiopathic course, during pregnancy, and in combination with breast cancer to indicate clear diagnostic criteria. Conclusion: Thus, the clinical cases presented in the article demonstrate different clinical features of Mondor's disease with a single outcome. The disease is a spontaneously regressive disease within one, rarely more than one month.