Calcium deposits in the breasts, which are made up of clumps of calcium phosphate crystals and collagen, can form for a variety of reasons. They may be related to damage to the breast tissue, which may be the result of inflammation or injury, or simply part of the aging process. Breast growths such as cysts or fibroadenomas, as well as cancer cells from ductal carcinoma in situ, can cause calcium deposits. Problems that lead to blockages in the milk ducts, such as ecstasy or mastitis of the milk ducts, can also be to blame.
When breast tissue is damaged, there is an increased chance that calcium deposits will develop in the breast. Women who have suffered a physical injury or damage to one or both breasts, such as blunt force trauma, may be prone to getting them. Breast surgery, in which incisions are made in the breast tissue that require stitches, can also promote calcifications. Those who have undergone treatment for breast cancer and need radiation therapy are sometimes prone to calcium deposits. Older women, particularly those who have already gone through menopause, often tend to develop them as their breast tissue degenerates.
Another common cause of calcium deposits in the breasts is abnormal breast growths. Calcifications may tend to form around cysts, which are benign fluid-filled sacs that can form. Tumors known as fibroadenomas, which are solid, noncancerous masses in the breasts, can also trigger its development. Another type of growth that can lead to calcium deposits is ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, which is a very early form of breast cancer that occurs in the milk ducts. Breast implants or other foreign bodies in the breast can also cause calcifications in nearby tissue.
Problems that affect the milk ducts are often the cause of calcium deposits in the breasts, particularly if the ducts become blocked and fluid builds up. The ducts under the nipples can dilate and thicken, causing fluid buildup, a condition known as mammary duct ecstasy and a common trigger for calcium deposits. Sometimes the ducts become blocked by milk when women are first nursing their newborns, and those blockages can lead to an infection known as mastitis, another common cause of calcifications. If the ducts become blocked by growths, cysts, or other foreign bodies, the same result can occur.