Nipple Discharge: Presentations, Causes and Management
Nipple discharge is usually nothing to worry about as it is a normal function of the breast BUT still can be a sign of breast cancer
Presentations of Nipple Discharge
- Can be from one nipple or both
- Can be from one duct or more
- Can be spontaneous or induced (on squeezing the nipple)
- Can be different colours, milky, cloudy, yellowish, brownish, green, dark, these colours are usually of harmless causes.
- Clear and bloody nipple discharge warrant further investigations
Causes of Nipple Discharge
The causes are many:
- Infection
- Abscess
- Contraceptive pills
- Dilated milk ducts
- Duct papilloma (Papilloma is a wart-like growth of the duct wall protruding in the duct lumen)
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Some medications and other causes
- Invasive and non-invasive types of breast cancer can be the cause of nipple discharge
- Pregnancy, breast-feeding, menstrual and menopausal hormonal changes are causes of nipple discharge
Treatment of Nipple Discharge
- Always get checked, especially when the nipple discharge is either:
→ new
→bloody or clear
→ one breast/ one duct
→spontaneous
- Always get checked if you have a breast lump, pain, changes in breast shape and/or nipple
- You will need Clinical Breast Examination +/- mammogram/ductogram + ultrasound +/- biopsy