Patient's question:
I am a married woman and have recently experienced secretions from my breasts. Sometimes the nipple discharge contains blood, with a slight trace of red in the milk. It can also be coffee-colored. What could be causing this? I'm very scared. What should I do?Doctor's answer:
Purulent discharge is often unilateral, either spontaneous or extruded by pressure, and is typically green or creamy yellow, viscous, purulent, and may contain blood. It is commonly seen in inflammatory breast diseases, such as duct ectasia syndrome. Hemorrhagic discharge is also often unilateral, either spontaneous or extruded by pressure, and appears bright red, light red, light brown, or coffee-colored. It is most commonly caused by intraductal papilloma but can also be seen in breast cancer, hyperplasia of the breast, or duct ectasia syndrome. Since malignant lesions are more likely to cause hemorrhagic discharge, clinical vigilance is heightened for patients with such discharge. It is recommended that you visit a hospital for examination.