Final answer:
The woman's symptoms of a breast mass, greenish-brown nipple discharge, redness, swelling, and palpable lymph nodes suggest an infectious condition. Diagnostic tests are necessary to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions like breast cancer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symptoms reported by the premenopausal woman, which include a mass in her right breast, greenish-brown nipple discharge, redness and swelling over the mass, and palpable axillary lymph nodes, suggest that her condition could be infectious. These symptoms align with infections like mastitis or abscess formation, especially given the presence of a swollen mass coupled with discharge and local signs of inflammation (redness and swelling). Moreover, the swollen lymph nodes indicate an immune response typically associated with an infection. It is imperative to investigate further through diagnostic tests such as a mammogram, ultrasound, or biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions, such as breast cancer.
A comprehensive clinical examination and history taking are crucial for evaluating breast disorders, and these symptoms can also be indicative of inflammatory breast cancer. However, the greenish-brown discharge suggests a benign process like a duct ectasia or infection rather than cancer, which usually presents with clear, bloody, or serous discharge