Which is the most common breast lesion in adolescent patients?

• A. Lipoma
• B. Fibroadenoma
• C. Carcinoma
• D. Fibrocystic disease

Answer: (B)

Fibroadenoma is the most common breast lesion in adolescents. This benign tumor arises with pubertal estrogen influence, causing a mass that is typically solitary, well‑circumscribed, mobile, and painless. It often appears during puberty and may enlarge with hormonal changes or during pregnancy, yet it remains firm and rubbery rather than fixed. On imaging, it tends to be a small, oval, well-defined, homogeneous lesion that lies parallel to the chest wall. Pathology shows a biphasic tumor with ductal epithelial elements embedded in fibrous stroma. Most teens with small, asymptomatic lesions are followed with observation and periodic imaging; intervention is considered if the lesion grows rapidly, becomes very large, or the diagnosis is uncertain. Compared with fibroadenoma, other breast masses are less typical in adolescence: lipomas are uncommon in the teen breast, carcinomas are extremely rare in this age group, and fibrocystic changes usually occur later and present with bilateral, often tender, cyclic changes rather than a single, mobile lump.