What should you know about orange peel dimpling breast?

The skin may look pitted, thickened, or dimpled like the surface of an orange because swelling or changes beneath the skin pull on the breast tissue. Causes can include inflammation, infection, injury, or a breast condition that needs investigation. A breast skin change can be a presentation of breast cancer, but the appearance alone cannot diagnose it. Paget disease of the breast more often affects the nipple or areola and may cause scaling, irritation, or discharge.

Arrange an appointment with a doctor or breast clinic soon, and describe when you first noticed the change, whether it is spreading, and whether it affects one or both breasts. Do not squeeze the area or rely on repeated self-checks to explain it. The clinician may examine the breast, armpit, nipple, and skin, then decide whether imaging or a tissue sample is needed.

Seek urgent medical advice if the change comes with a rapidly enlarging breast, marked redness or warmth, fever, severe pain, bloody nipple discharge, a new nipple inversion, or a firm lump. These features can reflect infection or another condition requiring timely treatment.

Ask what could be causing the dimpling, whether you need breast imaging, which changes should prompt faster review, and how you will receive the results.