Chapter 154 Breast: Nipple Discharge
INTRODUCTION
Description: Nipple discharge is a distressing symptom that accounts for roughly 5% of breast complaints.
Prevalence: Three percent to five percent of breast problems, 5% of women who are not lactating, >50% of women can express secretions.
CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Signs and Symptoms
• Spontaneous, continuous, or intermittent release of fluid from one or both breasts that may be milky, bloody, serous, serosanguineous, or cloudy; most physiologic discharge is white or green, clear, or yellow; serosanguineous or bloody nipple discharge is associated with malignancy in 7% to 17% of cases, but the color or clarity of the fluid cannot diagnose or rule out carcinoma.
