Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of evening Primrose oil (EPO) and vitamin E in the management of mastalgia.

Design and Department: A single blind study carried out from June 2010 to Jan 2011in Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar.

Patients: A total of 67 patients with moderate to severe breast pain were included in this study.

Methodology: After clinical evaluation, investigations and informed consent all patients were assigned to two groups alternatively. Mastalgia in all patients was gauged before and during the treatment according to the Cardiff Breast Pain Score (CBS) for a period of 4 months.

Group I (n=33) were given evening Primrose oil 1 gram once daily with meals and Group II (n=34) patients were given cap. Vitamin E 400 mg once daily for 4 months. Patients were followed at 4, 8, and 16 weeks.

Result: The overall response of evening Primrose oil was 60.6% in contrast to 47.07% response with vitamin E.

Conclusion: Evening Primrose oil as compared to vit. E has a role in management of mastalgia though statistically there was no difference between these two groups in our study.

Keywords: Evening Primrose oil (EPO), Vitamin E and mastalgia.  

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