Patient's question:
I am 34 years old this year, and my child is already 10 years old, but recently my breasts have grown a bit, and milk is being secreted.Doctor's answer:
Hello:Diseases Related to Nipple Discharge
Nipple discharge during non-pregnancy and non-lactation is referred to as nipple discharge. Nipple discharge is one of the common symptoms of breast diseases. Statistics show that 3% to 14% of patients with breast diseases visit clinics primarily due to nipple discharge, making it the second most common symptom after breast lumps and breast pain. If the nipple discharge is unilateral, it is often associated with the following breast diseases:
1. Duct Ectasia: In some patients with this condition, the initial symptom is nipple discharge. The discharge is usually brown in color, occasionally bloody. Laboratory tests of the discharge reveal a large number of plasma cells and lymphocytes but no tumor cells. This disease is more common in non-lactating women over 40 or postmenopausal women. The area of the areola where discharge occurs may have a mass adhering 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 present with redness, swelling, heat, and pain.
2. Intraductal Papilloma: This condition is more common in individuals aged 40 to 50. 75% of the tumor occurs near the nipple. The tumor is small, pedunculated, and has villi with thin-walled blood vessels, making it prone to bleeding. Tumor cells can be found in the discharge through laboratory tests. Sometimes, patients can feel a cherry-sized mass under the areola during careful palpation, 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 of the discharge show no