About 60% of women can express a small amount of yellowish or green nipple discharge from both breasts. This is normal (Ref. 3, p. 199) and has to be distinguished from discharge of milk spontaneously from both breasts, which is dealt with under “lactating breasts“. However, discharge spontaneously from one breast is potentially a serious matter as this would be associated with a high breast cancer risk.
This type of discharge is usually watery, bloody or sticky and needs to be investigated by a physician. A careful breast examination needs to be done looking for a lump in the breast or a breast mass. A mammogram should be done for a woman older than 35 years. Cytology testing or ductograms are not considered to be useful by most experts as any information from that would not change the further management, which consists of breast surgery including surgical excision of the duct that is discharging (Ref. 3, p. 199).
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