One or both breasts may produce a
nipple discharge, either spontaneously or when you squeeze your nipples or breasts. A nipple discharge may look milky, or it may be clear, yellow, green, brown or bloody. Nipple discharge may be associated with menstrual hormone changes. Possible causes of nipple discharge include abscess, excessive breast stimulation, fibroadenoma, papilloma, trauma, mammary duct ectasia, hormonal imbalance, galactorrhea , fibroadenosis, prolactinoma hypothyroidism, drugs, and breast cancer. Most nipple discharges are physiological and are not associated with an underlying benign or malignant breast neoplasm. A pathological discharge is generally unilateral, spontaneous, persistent, clear, watery, serous or bloody in appearance. Most of the common pathological causes of ND are benign, and the most frequently encountered benign causes are
intraductal papilloma, followed by ductal ectasia and
fibrocystic disease. Breast cancer is a possibility, especially if:
1. you have a lump in your breast
2. only one breast is affected
3. discharge contains blood
4. discharge is spontaneous
5. discharge affects only a single duct
Advice
1.
Consult a general surgeon for physical examination of breast for any lump
2. If discharge recurs and persistent then following investigations are required – mammography,
breast ultrasound, and nipple discharge cytology
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