Diseases and Conditions
Breast cysts
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine
Preparing for an appointment
Overview
Breast cysts are fluid-filled sacs inside the breast. They are usually noncancerous (benign). You may have one or multiple breast cysts. A breast cyst often feels like a grape or a water-filled balloon, but sometimes a breast cyst feels firm.
Breast cysts don't require treatment unless a cyst is large and painful or uncomfortable. In that case, draining the fluid from a breast cyst can ease symptoms.
Although breast cysts can be found in women of any age, they're more common in women before menopause, typically under age 50. But they can be found in women of any age. Breast cysts also commonly occur in postmenopausal women who take hormone therapy.