Patient's question:
After nipple compression, there was white liquid. I went to the hospital for E1 + E2 + PRL; mammography; and brain CT. The pituitary results were inconclusive, only showing mild hyperplasia. What should I do next?Doctor's answer:
Hello:In non-pregnant and non-lactating periods, fluid leakage from the nipple is called nipple discharge. Nipple discharge is one of the common symptoms of breast diseases. Statistics show that 3% to 14% of patients seeking medical attention primarily for nipple discharge have breast diseases, with a higher incidence rate than breast lumps and breast pain. If the nipple discharge is from a single nipple, it is often associated with the following breast conditions:
1. Mammary Duct Ectasia: Some patients with this condition may experience nipple discharge as an early symptom. The discharge is often brown in color, occasionally bloody. Laboratory tests of the discharge reveal a large number of plasma cells and lymphocytes but no tumor cells. This condition is more common in women over 40 who are not lactating or postmenopausal. The area around the nipple where discharge occurs may have a mass adhered to the skin, usually less than 3 cm in diameter. The ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes may be swollen, soft, and tender. If infection occurs, the mass may show signs of redness, swelling, heat, and pain.
2. Intraductal Papilloma: This condition is more common in women aged 40 to 50. 75% of the tumors are located near the nipple. The tumors are small, pedunculated, and have villi with thin-walled blood vessels, making them prone to bleeding. Tumor cells can be found in the discharge through laboratory tests. Sometimes, patients may notice a cherry-sized mass under the areola when carefully palpating the breast, which is soft, smooth, and mobile.
3. Breast Cystic Hyperplasia: This condition is more common in women of reproductive age. Some patients may experience yellow-green, brown, bloody, or colorless serous nipple discharge. Laboratory tests show no tumor cells in the discharge. This condition has two characteristics: one is that it is characterized by