Mondor's disease

Thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the breast or chest wall is known as Mondor's disease. It is an uncommon, self limiting disease (1).

Presentation is with acute pain, frequently following trauma. There will be visible, palpable, tender cord like branching cutaneous grooves (1).

In general, MD is a self-limited, benign disease that resolves in four to eight weeks without requiring any specific treatment (2). However the condition may as long as to six months (1).

Treatment:

• in some cases, especially in painful MD cases, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can relieve the patient of bothersome symptoms (2)
• if severe local pain, surgical intervention can be considered (2)
• there is evidence of the effectivenees of anticoagulation in the acute phase of MD (2)
  • with the option of using common medications for superficial thrombophlebitis, such as prophylactic or intermediate doses of low-molecular-weight heparin and subcutaneous administration of fondaparinux (2.5 mg)
    • however, the application of anticoagulation for MD patients remains controversial

Notes:

• some cases of MD may occur secondary to an underlying disease, such as vasculitis, a hypercoagulative state, or malignancy. Physicians should evaluate the possible presence of an underlying disease, and avoid performing unnecessary invasive tests or treatment (2)

Reference:

• (1) Vaidyanathan L, Barnard K, Elnicki DM. Benign breast disease: when to treat, when to reassure, when to refer. Cleve Clin J Med. 2002;69(5):425-32
• (2) Amano M, Shimizu TMondor's Disease: A Review of the Literature.Intern Med. 2018 Sep 15;57(18):2607-2612.