Breast Discharge

Breast discharge is mainly associated with breast diseases. Generally, breast discharge is predominantly yellow, which may be caused by factors such as mastitis. Therefore, when women experience breast discharge, it is necessary to visit a hospital for relevant examinations. The methods for examining breast discharge in women include ultrasonography, mammary duct endoscopy, CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and mammography. However, women should take note of relevant preparatory measures before undergoing breast discharge examinations.

Methods for Examining Nipple Discharge

1. Ultrasonography is mainly used to determine whether there are changes in the mammary ducts, whether there are masses in the breasts, and to differentiate whether the masses are cystic or solid. Cystic masses can sometimes be aspirated under ultrasonographic guidance, and if liquid is aspirated, surgery may not be necessary.

2. Mammography with molybdenum target X-rays can detect ductal carcinoma in situ, which is mainly manifested as thickening of the ductal shadow and microcalcifications. Selective mammary duct radiography is valuable in diagnosing ductal ectasia, cystic hyperplasia of the breast, and intraductal papillomas.

3. Other imaging diagnostic methods such as CT and MRI can be helpful in diagnosing the causes of nipple discharge, especially for intraductal papillomas and intraductal carcinomas. These examinations can be used as a supplement to mammography but are not routinely used.

4. Mammary duct endoscopy is the primary examination method for breast duct discharge. It allows direct observation of the dilation of the mammary ducts, the epithelium of the ducts, and various conditions within the ductal lumen, such as stiffness of the ductal wall, disappearance of local annular folds, narrowing or even closure of the lumen, bleeding on the surface of the tumor, and characteristic manifestations of ductal carcinoma. During mammary duct endoscopy, various treatments can be performed based on the diagnosis, including direct localization, sampling, and biopsy of intraductal neoplastic lesions.

5. Fine-needle aspiration cytology: Fine-needle aspiration should be performed on patients with breast discharge accompanied by breast masses. Needle aspiration biopsy can be performed under imaging guidance, and surgery can be planned accordingly based on the pathological diagnosis.