Nipple discharge is among the most common complaints after breast pain and masses. Although it is mostly seen due to benign causes, it may also develop due to reasons requiring surgery.
What Is Nipple Discharge?
Nipple discharge is defined as the condition of discharge coming from the nipple outside of pregnancy and the breastfeeding period. Nipple discharge, which is a common complaint in women, is seen in between 5 and 10 out of every 100 women. After symptoms of a breast mass and pain, the most common complaints are nipple discharge. Although discharge from the breast is associated with breast cancer, nipple discharge may also have different causes. Bloody or light-colored fluid coming from a single breast is one of the early-stage breast cancer symptoms and a doctor should be consulted without delay.
In Which Situations Is Nipple Discharge Seen?
Sometimes it can also be seen as an early sign of breast cancer. For this reason, it should be evaluated by specialist doctors without neglect. When evaluating nipple discharge, the color of the discharge can give important signs about the causes. In cases of duct ectasia or inflammation, it is usually yellow, milky-colored, gray, and greenish.
Clear, bloody, urine-colored discharges can be seen in conditions requiring surgery such as intraductal papilloma or in cancers. White milky discharge can generally be seen with an increase in prolactin (the hormone that stimulates breast milk production). Discharges, especially; the presence of a breast mass together with discharge, being bloody or clear, coming spontaneously without squeezing the breast, coming from a single breast or a single milk duct, and being over the age of 40 will increase the risk of cancer, so it should definitely be evaluated by a specialist physician.
How Often Is Nipple Discharge Seen?
Nipple discharge is a very common problem among women. Nipple discharge is seen in 8 out of every 10 women of reproductive age. The color of the nipple discharge, whether it is seen in both breasts, the amount of discharge, changes in the skin tissue of the breast with discharge, whether there is a lump in the breast, and the person’s hormonal status are among the factors taken into consideration in the evaluation of nipple discharge. After examining the patient, the physician considers these factors and recommends the appropriate treatment method.
Causes of Nipple Discharge
Among the causes of nipple discharge, the following reasons can be listed;
- Dilatation of the milk duct in the breast
- Blows and traumas to the area
- High prolactin
- Fibrocystic changes
- Medication use
- Paget disease
- Abscess formation
- Presence of a benign tumor
- Breast cancer
How Is Nipple Discharge Diagnosed?
Diagnosing what causes nipple discharge provides many advantages, including early diagnosis of breast cancer. For diagnosis, physician examination and tests such as mammography and ultrasound are performed. If deemed necessary, tests such as breast MRI, ductography, and ductoscopy can also be performed.
Nipple Discharge Treatment
In the treatment of breast diseases, the opinion of a surgeon specialized in the breast field should definitely be obtained. After taking the patient history and performing a comprehensive examination, it is examined whether there is a pathological condition in the breast. After the necessary examinations related to nipple discharge are performed, the cause of the discharge is found and a treatment method is applied accordingly. In necessary cases, the milk ducts can be removed with surgical intervention, medication treatment can be applied, and a treatment plan can be created according to the physician’s decision.
Nipple Discharge Treatment with Ductoscopy
Ductoscopy examination is easily performed under local anesthesia. Ductoscopy, which is not a painful method, offers a treatment that provides a non-surgical solution in cases of pathological nipple discharge. At the end of the treatment, the patient is relieved of the area with the lesion and the nipple discharge problem.
