Phantom breast syndrome in women who underwent modified radical mastectomy

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of the phantom breast syndrome (PBS) in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy (MRM). Methods: A retrospective study of women treated at the Hospital of Federal University of Goias and the Hospital Araujo Jorge. The instruments included review of data in medical records, patients’ interviews, phantom stimulation test (PST) and application of the visual analogue scale (VAS). To compare the variables, binomial tests χ2 and Fisher’s exact test were used. Results: 40 women were included. Of these, 18 reported feeling PBS (when asked) and 7 reported pain in phantom breast (PPB) spontaneously. In carrying out the PST, ten women had a significant response when stimulated in pre-established areas (p<0.001). Conclusion: PBS is common and can occur up to five years after the mastectomy. Personalized assessment will allow a differential diagnosis with other pain syndromes, enabling better approach and a more appropriate treatment.