Examination: Breast

• General appearance of patient (cachexia, pallor, shortness of breath, breast asymmetry)
• Inspect patient sitting in 3 positions: 1) with arms down and relaxed, 2) with hands on hips and elbows pushed forward, 3) with hands behind the head and elbows pushed back (make a particular effort to inspect the underside of the breast in this position). In all positions, look specifically for movement and visibility of a mass in the breast
• Look at eye level for:
  OSCE-Aid Tips

  You can remember most of these as the 5 D's:

  • Discolouration
  • Dermatological (e.g. Paget's disease)
  • Discharge
  • Deviation
  • Depression/inversion
  • Asymmetry
  • Pitting
  • Peau d'orange
  • Prominent veins
  • Dimpling
  • Discharge
  • Discolouration
  • Puckering
  • Scars
  • Redness
  • Displacement
  • An obvious lump
• Inspect the supraclavicular area and axillae for swollen nodes, veins and muscle wasting
• Also look for any past signs of breast cancer, e.g.: mastectomy, scars, hair loss, radiation burns, lymphoedema of the arm (non-pitting generalised swelling)

• Ask if the patient has any pain before starting, or if they have noticed any lumps or discharge
• If the patient indicated that they have noticed a lump in one breast, ensure that you start palpation with the opposite breast first
• Patient at 45 degrees, slightly tilted towards one side with a hand resting behind head
• Examine one side, then ask them to turn over and do the same on the other side
• Palpate in the four quadrants and the nipple areolar complex (NAC). Specifically check for discharge (if they report that they have experienced discharge, ask them to attempt to express it themselves)
• Palpate from the outer margins in towards the centre. Remember: breast tissue can be found all the way up to the clavicle, especially the upper-outer axillary 'tail' of tissue
• Describing a lump if you feel one:
  • Tenderness, site, size, shape, surface, edges, consistency, colour, contour, pulsatility, fluctuation, temperature, reduciblity, mobility and tethering
  • If there is a lump, ask the patient to push their hand forward against your hand and assess if it is attached to underlying muscle (tethering)
• The axillae:
  • Ask patient to rest their forearm on your opposite forearm (e.g. right arm to right arm)
  • Use your opposite hand to palpate in the axilla
  • Roll fingers down axilla 4 times, feeling for the anterior, posterior, medial and lateral borders of the axilla (these are where the 4 lymph node groups are found)
  • Examine the left axilla with your left hand and vice versa
  • If you feel a lump, feel if it is fixed or not, and be preparted to comment on any features of it as noted above
• The supraclavicular nodes bilaterally
• Thank patient and wash your hands

• Offer to examine the respiratory system, the abdomen, the neurological system, and the spine for any signs of metastatic spread (if you found a lump)

download in pdf