Mondor's disease

What is Mondor’s disease?

Mondor’s disease is an inflammation of the veins under the skin of the breast and chest wall, and is also known as superficial thrombophlebitis.

It affects both men and women but there are many more cases in women.

Mondor’s disease is a benign condition and is quite rare. It can affect any of the veins in the breast, but most commonly affects those under the nipple.

It’s not always known why people develop Mondor’s disease, but it can occur following trauma, infection or recent surgery.

Mondor’s disease looks like a long narrow cord under the skin, which can be painful and tender to touch. If the arm on the affected side is raised, causing the skin over the breast to stretch, a shallow groove can be seen alongside the cord.

Diagnosis

Your GP is likely to refer you to a specialist who can confirm a diagnosis of Mondor’s disease. If a definite diagnosis can’t be made, they may want you to have a mammogram and/or ultrasound scan for more information.

Treatment

If you do have Mondor’s disease you won’t usually need any treatment, as it will get better by itself. Although it can take up to 12 weeks to go away altogether, the pain usually lasts only a couple of weeks.

You may need to take some pain relief such as an anti-inflammatory medication. Resting the arm and supporting the breast on the affected side will help it to heal.

What this means for you

You may feel anxious about having Mondor’s disease. Even though you may feel relieved that it is a benign condition, you may still worry about breast cancer.

Having Mondor’s disease does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer. However, it’s still important to be breast aware and go back to your GP if you notice any other changes in your breasts.