Mondor’s Disease
A 53-year-old man with hypertension and diabetes mellitus presented with a 4-day history of dull, aching pain in his right nipple. He said that he had not had any fever, trauma, or discharge from the nipple. Physical examination revealed a tender subcutaneous cord that began below the right anterior axillary fold and continued toward the right hypochondrium. Lifting of the right arm above the head accentuated the appearance of the cord. Doppler ultrasonography revealed a noncompressible right thoracoepigastric vein containing echogenic material, a finding that was consistent with superficial venous thrombosis. There was no evidence of associated deep venous thrombosis. Mondor’s disease, a superficial thrombophlebitis of a vein in the anterolateral thoracoabdominal wall, is typically benign and self-limited. It is more common in women than in men. Risk factors include trauma, breast surgery, and extensive physical activity, and Mondor’s disease has been rarely associated with breast carcinoma. Treatment included nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. The lesion and pain resolved within 6 weeks after presentation and had not recurred at 1 year of follow-up.
