As a woman ages, calcium deposits can form in the breast called breast calcifications. During a self breast examination, a woman cannot feel a breast calcification, though a mammogram can show them. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation points out that two types of breast calcifications exist: macrocalcifications and microcalcifications. Both are usually benign, though microcalcifications might indicate cancer. Various conditions can cause breast calcifications.
Noncancerous Growths
Certain noncancerous growths can result in the formation of breast calcifications. One example is a breast cyst, which is a fluid-filled pouch that occurs in women who are in their 30s and 40s. A woman can identify a breast cyst by touch: she will feel a lump in her breast that easily moves. The breast can become painful or tender where the breast cyst is. A woman may also notice an increase in the breast cyst's size before menstruation. Another cause is fibroadenoma, a benign tumor that can occur in the breast. MedlinePlus notes that women usually have just one lump with fibroadenoma, though 10 to 15 percent of women have multiple lumps. These breast lumps are firm and moveable, but painless. If calcification occurs in the fibroadenoma, it can cause breast calcifications.
Calcification Elsewhere in the Body
If a person has calcifications in other areas of her body, she can develop breast calcifications. For example, dermal calcification, or calcification of the skin, can lead to breast calcifications. Vascular calcification, or calcification of the blood vessels, can also cause breast calcifications.
Damage to the Breast Tissue
Conditions that damage the breast tissue can result in breast calcifications. Women who have undergone radiation therapy for cancer can develop breast calcifications if the radiation affects the breasts. Injury to the breast, such as from a blunt force, may also cause the formation of breast calcifications.
Mammary Duct Ectasia
With mammary duct ectasia, the milk ducts become blocked with a thick fluid. This condition occurs after a milk duct in the breast becomes dilated. Doctors find mammary duct ectasia in women in their 40s and 50s. Women with this condition often have no symptoms, but they may have tenderness or nipple discharge. The build up of this thick fluid may cause breast calcifications to form.
Breast Infection
A particular breast infection, mastitis, can cause breast calcifications. Mastitis commonly affects women who are breast-feeding within the first three months of giving birth. Women who have mastitis can have swelling, redness and warmer breasts, as well as a fever and chills. While mastatis can become uncomfortable, it does not interfere with breast-feeding.
Cell Secretions
In the human body, cells release debris into the surrounding fluid, called extracellular fluid, where it is disposed of. Sometimes the debris secreted by cells in the breast can cause calcifications.
