- Pathologic nipple discharge:
- Is characteristically spontaneous, unilateral, uniductal, or bloody
- Physiologic discharge is:
- Nonspontaneous, bilateral, multiductal, and milk
- The most common causes for pathologic nipple discharge are benign:
- Intraductal papillomas
- Duct ectasia)
- The presence of abnormal clinical findings on imaging or physical exam:
- Is associated with increased risk of malignancy:
- 38% vs. 2%
- Is associated with increased risk of malignancy:
- Contemporary workup for nipple discharge includes:
- Mammography and evaluation of the retroareolar region with ultrasound
- Patients with normal findings on mammography, ultrasound, and physical exam can be further evaluated with breast MRI:
- As it is highly sensitive and specific for cancer
- Surgical management of nipple discharge includes:
- Excision of a single duct or central duct apparatus:
- Depending on the number of ducts involved
- Excision of a single duct or central duct apparatus:
- References
- Li GZ, Wong SM, Lester S, Nakhlis F. Evaluating the risk of underlying malignancy in patients with pathologic nipple discharge. Breast J. 2018;24(4):624-627.
- de Paula IB, Campos AM. Breast imaging in patients with nipple discharge. Radiol. Bras. 2017;50(6):383-388.
- Yilmaz R, Bender O, Celik Yabul F, Dursun M, Tunaci M, Acunas G. Diagnosis of nipple discharge: value of magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography in comparison with ductoscopy. Balkan Med J. 2017;34(2):119-126.

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