Cohort study, 1999
Is cyclical breast pain always a sign of premenstrual syndrome?
No. In this study, 82% of women with regular monthly breast pain did not meet criteria for PMS, suggesting cyclical breast pain is often a separate condition.
What they did
32 women reporting recent breast pain tracked their breast pain and menstrual symptoms daily for 3 to 6 months using standardized scales.
What they found
11 women (34.4%) met criteria for clinically significant cyclical breast pain, averaging 10.2 days of moderate to severe pain each month. Only 5 women (15.6%) met criteria for PMS. 82% of women with clinical cyclical breast pain did not have PMS.
What it means for you
Cyclical breast pain appears to be a separate recurrent pain condition, not simply a PMS symptom. This means it may need different investigation and treatment than PMS. The study size was relatively small.
32
women studied
82%
with breast pain but no PMS
10.2 days
average monthly severe pain
About the study
- Original title
- Cyclical mastalgia: premenstrual syndrome or recurrent pain disorder?
- Authors
- Ader DN, Shriver CD, Browne MW
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology
- Year
- 1999
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None (symptom tracking only)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/01674829909075596
Topics
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