Symptomatic benign breast disease and hormone replacement therapy.

The effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on presentation and diagnoses of post-menopausal women has been examined by a retrospective review of patients presenting to a symptomatic Breast Clinic over a 5-year period. Sixty-seven post-menopausal women aged less than 65 years taking hormone replacement therapy for more than 6 months were compared with 144 post-menopausal women aged less than 65 years not taking hormone replacement therapy. There was no difference in the pattern of presentation, rate of intervention or final diagnoses between these two groups. HRT does not appear to effect the pattern of presentation of benign breast disease in post-menopausal women.