title: Nipple discharge.
abstract: A milky discharge may be of a benign endocrine nature, drug induced or secondary to a pituitary lesion. A clear or bloody discharge may be functional or related to benign or malignant breast lesions. Carcinoma is a very unusual cause of nipple discharge in the absence of a palpable mass or an abnormal mammogram. A unilateral bloody discharge without evidence of a tumor may stem from a benign intraductal papilloma. Careful follow-up evaluations are sufficient for a persistent nipple discharge, after serious pituitary and breast disorders have been ruled out.
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005687:Galactorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D009558:Nipples / Q000378:metabolism*; D010212:Papilloma / Q000175:diagnosis; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy