Normal: Late pregnancy, after childbirth, newborns[2][3] Abnormal: Intraductal papilloma, duct ectasia, blocked milk duct, infected breast, breast cancer, high prolactin[1][4][3]
Treatment
Depends on the cause[2]
Frequency
Common[2]
Nipple discharge is fluid from the nipple, with or without squeezing the breast.[2][5] The discharge can be milky, clear, green, purulent, bloody, or faintly yellow.[6] The consistency can be thick, thin, sticky, or watery.[5][6]
Nipple discharge may be normal, such as milk in late pregnancy or after childbirth, and in newborns during the first weeks of life.[2][3] It may also be normal following squeezing, in women during the reproductive years.[2][5] It is likely abnormal if it occurs in men, contains blood, is from only one breast, or is associated with a breast lump, swelling, redness or overlying skin changes.[2][3] Reasons for abnormal discharge include an intraductal papilloma, duct ectasia, blocked milk duct, infected breast (mastitis or breast abscess), breast cancer, certain medications, and conditions that raise prolactin.[1][3][4]
Milky discharge in a non-pregnant, non-breast feeding women is evaluated differently to other abnormal nipple discharge.[4] Often, the cause can be determined based on symptoms and examination.[5] Blood tests may be done to rule out low thyroid or high prolactin.[7] Other tests may include mammography, breast ultrasound, breast biopsy, or skin biopsy.[8]
Treatment depends on the underlying cause.[2] Duct ectasia may be treated with surgical removal of the ducts involved.[2] Infectious causes may require antibiotics or incision and drainage.[2] Nipple discharge is the third most common breast complaint by women, after breast pain and a breast lump.[4] About 3% of breast cancer cases are associated with discharge.[4][9]
^ abcSalzman, B; Fleegle, S; Tully, AS (15 August 2012). "Common breast problems". American Family Physician. 86 (4): 343–9. PMID 22963023.
^ abcde"Nipple discharge". nhs.uk. 19 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^ abcdeDanielle Mazza (2011). "11. Nipple discharge". Women's Health in General Practice. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier. p. 189. ISBN 9780729538718.
^ abcdBrennan, Meagan; Houssami, Nehmat; French, James (May 2005). "Management of benign breast conditions. Part 3 – other breast problems" (PDF). Australian Family Physician. 34 (5): 353–355. PMID 15887938.
^ abBarry, Michele (1990), Walker, H. Kenneth; Hall, W. Dallas; Hurst, J. Willis (eds.), "Nipple Discharge", Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations (3rd ed.), Boston: Butterworths, ISBN 978-0-409-90077-4, PMID 21250127, retrieved 2020-10-30
^Arthur, Rhonda (2014). "13. Gynaecologic guidelines". In Jill C., Cash; Glass, Cheryl A. (eds.). Family Practice Guidelines, Third Edition. Springer Publishing Company. p. 450. ISBN 978-0-8261-9782-5.
^Cite error: The named reference DeMuro2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Saad, Reda S.; Silverman, Jan F. (2008). "25. Breast". In Marluce Bibbo (ed.). Comprehensive Cytopathology. David Wilbur (Third ed.). Saunders Elsevier. pp. 760–761. ISBN 978-1-4160-4208-2.
Nippledischarge is fluid from the nipple, with or without squeezing the breast. The discharge can be milky, clear, green, purulent, bloody, or faintly...
nipple. Nippledischarge is more likely to be normal if it comes out of both nipples or happens when the nipples are squeezed. Squeezing the nipple to...
fluid containing mucus and pus Nippledischarge, the release of fluid from the nipples of the breasts Emotional discharge, in co-counselling, the ways in...
duct beneath the nipple widens, the duct walls thicken, and the duct fills with fluid. This is the most common cause of greenish discharge. Mammary duct...
part of a breast is more concerning, particularly if a hard mass or nippledischarge is also present. Causes may be related to the menstrual cycle, birth...
into the duct system through the nipple. The procedure is used for investigating the pathology of nippledischarge. Galactography is capable of detecting...
Ductograms are still used in some institutions for evaluation of bloody nippledischarge when the mammogram is non-diagnostic. MRI can be useful for the screening...
inflammation, a clear or light brownish fluid may drain out of the areola (nippledischarge), and an subareolar mass may develop, the cyst of Montgomery. The diagnosis...
skin, nippledischarge, and nipple retraction are not typical features of gynecomastia and may be associated with other disorders. Milky discharge from...
swelling that feels different from the surrounding tissue. Breast pain, nippledischarge, or skin changes may be present. Concerning findings include masses...
conditions. The most common symptoms are a breast mass, breast pain, and nippledischarge. A majority of breast diseases are noncancerous. Although breast disease...
microdochotomy. Microdochectomy is a standard treatment of in case there is nippledischarge which stems from a single duct. There are preliminary indications that...
higher risk of malignancy. They are the most common cause of bloody nippledischarge in women age 20-40 and generally do not show up on mammography due...
pathologic nippledischarge although it has more recently been replaced by breast MRI as the standard of care for evaluation of suspicious nippledischarge. The...
They are usually arranged in a circle around the nipple, and can be particularly visible when the nipple is erect. Their role is to promote adequate breastfeeding...
examined their breasts themselves and found a lump, skin change, pain or nippledischarge. Techniques may vary from one medical professional to another, but...
the arm A change in the size or shape of the breast Nippledischarge or nipple tenderness; the nipple may also be inverted, or pulled back into the breast...
disease. Other possible symptoms include nipple retraction, pain, inflammation of the overlying skin, nippledischarge, fistula, enlarged lymph nodes and,...
The caplock mechanism consists of a hammer and a nipple (sometimes referred to as a cone). The nipple contains a hollow conduit which goes into the rearmost...
(i.e. pigmented area surrounding the breast's nipple); at presentation, 5 to 20% have a nippledischarge which may be bloody. Sonography examinations usually...
nippledischarge which stems from multiple ducts or cannot be traced back to a single duct. It is also indicated if there is bloody nippledischarge in...
provider. It is also important to look for changes in color or shape, nippledischarge, dimpling, and swelling. Mammography is a common screening method,...
swelling or discharge. A nipple adenoma is a type of intraductal papilloma that arises within the lactiferous ducts that are located within the nipple. The microscopic...
6%) of pain, 2 (~0.6%) of nippledischarge (this discharge may be bloody), and 1 (0.3%) of a palpable mass plus nippledischarge; 18 (~5%) had an entirely...
the breast, which may signal an underlying breast cancer Abnormal nippledischarge Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a percutaneous ("through the skin")...
and dizziness, dry mouth, problems with erection, tiredness, milky nippledischarge, large breasts, high sugars, difficulty sleeping, low blood pressure...
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