Nipple Discharge

Nipple discharge is fluid coming from the nipple, with or without squeezing the breast, and can be milky, clear, greenish, bloody, purulent, or yellowish, ranging from thick to watery. It is considered normal late in pregnancy, after childbirth, in newborns, and when brought on by breast stimulation in women of reproductive age, but it is considered abnormal when it occurs spontaneously and unrelated to pregnancy or breastfeeding, occurs in men, is bloody or perfectly clear, comes from only one breast, or is accompanied by a lump, swelling, redness, or other skin change. Abnormal discharge can be caused by a benign intraductal papilloma, duct ectasia, a blocked milk duct, mastitis or a breast abscess, elevated prolactin levels, certain medications, or, in a minority of cases, breast cancer; it is the third most common breast complaint prompting a medical visit, and about one to five percent of breast cancers first present with nipple discharge.