Nipple discharge
Encyclopedia
Nipple discharge is the release of fluid from the nipple
s of the breast
s. Although it is considered normal in a wide variety of circumstances it is the third major reason involving the breasts for which women seek medical attention, after breast lump
s and breast pain. It is also known to occur in adolescent boys and girls going through puberty
. Discharge often is the result of stimulation of the breasts or by irritation through clothing.
Nipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
s of the breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s. Although it is considered normal in a wide variety of circumstances it is the third major reason involving the breasts for which women seek medical attention, after breast lump
Breast lump
Breast lump is a localized swelling that feels different from the surrounding breast tissue. It is a symptom/sign for a variety of conditions. As approximately 10% of breast lumps ultimately lead to a diagnosis of breast cancer, it is important for women with a breast lump to receive appropriate...
s and breast pain. It is also known to occur in adolescent boys and girls going through puberty
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
. Discharge often is the result of stimulation of the breasts or by irritation through clothing.
Types of discharge
There are many different types of discharges. Some associations include:- cloudy white color—most common, can be galactorrheaGalactorrheaGalactorrhea or galactorrhoea is the spontaneous flow of milk from the breast, unassociated with childbirth or nursing.Contemporary Maternal-Newborn Nursing Care defines galactorrhea as "nipple discharge." -Causes:...
- clear or light white -- pregnancyPregnancyPregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
- red—contains blood—most often due to breast infection or intraductal papillomaIntraductal papillomaIntraductal papillomas of the breast are relatively common lesions with an incidence of approximately 2-3% in humans.They are the most common cause of bloody nipple discharge in women age 20-40 and generally do not show up on mammography due to their small size, so the next step in treatment would...
s, but can be breast cancerBreast cancerBreast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas... - whitish-yellow, yellow, or green -- pusPusPus is a viscous exudate, typically whitish-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammatory during infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collection of pus within or beneath the epidermis is known as a pustule or...
due to infection