question and answer
DOES NIPPLE DISCHARGE NEED FURTHER RX?
May 1999
PIERRE JUERY, MD, of Ottawa, ON, reports: "A 36-year-old woman presented with bilateral brownish nipple discharge for a couple of months. She had mildly painful breasts but no mass or other anomaly. Cultures and cytology from the discharge were negative, and she failed to respond to an empirical trial of antibiotics. Ultrasound and mammography were negative, and her serum prolactin level was within normal limits. The problem is now a bit better -- she still has a minimal discharge, but it doesn't really bother her." Dr. Juery asks: "Any suggestions for additional investigation or treatment?"
I'm often referred women with nipple discharge that isn't galactorrhea. The problem is usually unilateral, but sometimes bilateral, and is most often due to a benign inflammation of the ducts. These women have normal prolactin levels, but it's a good idea to get a breast specialist to evaluate them to rule out the small possibility of an occult ductal carcinoma. There are actually many women who have normoprolactinemic galactorrhea; a trial of low-dose bromocriptine may help if the galactorrhea is problematic.
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