Fluid in the breast

When a woman becomes pregnant, many parts of her body will quietly change with the pregnancy. After a woman gives birth to a baby, milk will soon appear in her breasts, allowing the mother to breastfeed the baby in time. This is a relatively normal process. If fluid flows out of the breasts when the woman is not pregnant or breastfeeding, it is a sign of breast disease.

In the non-pregnancy and non-lactation period, the discharge of fluid when the nipple is squeezed is called nipple discharge. Nipple discharge is one of the common symptoms of breast disease. According to statistics, patients with nipple discharge as the primary symptom account for 3% to 14% of breast disease patients, and its incidence rate is second only to breast lumps and breast pain. If the nipple discharge is from one nipple, it is usually related to the following breast diseases:

1. Mammary duct ectasia:

For some patients with this disease, the first early symptom is nipple discharge. The color of the discharge is mostly brown, and a few are bloody; laboratory examination of the discharge shows a large number of plasma cells and lymphocytes but no tumor cells. This disease is more common in non-lactating or menopausal women over 40 years old. There is a lump adhered to the skin in the areola area where discharge occurs, which is usually less than 3 cm in diameter. The axillary lymph nodes on the same side may be enlarged, soft, and tender. If infection occurs, the local area of ​​the lump will show signs of inflammation such as redness, swelling, heat and pain.

2. Intraductal papilloma:

This disease is more common in people aged 40 to 50 years old. 75% of the tumors occur in the area near the nipple. The tumors are very small, pedunculated and villous, and have many thin-walled blood vessels, so they are prone to bleeding. Laboratory examination can find tumor cells in the discharge. Sometimes, when patients carefully palpate their breasts, they may find a cherry-sized lump under the areola that is soft, smooth and movable.

3. Breast cystic hyperplasia:

It is more common in women of childbearing age. The nipple discharge of some patients is yellow-green, brown, bloody or colorless serous, and laboratory tests show no tumor cells in the discharge. This disease has two characteristics: one is the manifestation of periodic breast pain, which often occurs or worsens before menstruation. Mild cases are usually not noticed by patients, but severe cases can affect work and life. Second, breast lumps are often multiple and can be seen on one side or both sides. They can also be limited to one part of the breast or dispersed throughout the breast. The lumps are nodular and of varying sizes, tough but not hard, not adhered to the skin, and have unclear boundaries with surrounding tissues. The lumps may shrink after menstruation.

4. Breast cancer:

Some breast cancer patients have bright red or dark red nipple discharge, and sometimes clear water discharge, which is colorless and transparent, occasionally sticky, and leaves no trace after the discharge. Cancer cells may be found in the discharge through laboratory tests. The two peak incidence periods of this disease are 45 to 49 years old and 60 to 64 years old. The onset is slow, and the patient may accidentally discover a breast lump, which is usually located at the upper inner or upper outer limit, is painless, and gradually grows larger. In the late stage of lesions, orange peel-like skin changes and satellite nodules appear. The axillary lymph nodes are enlarged and hard, and fuse into clumps as the disease progresses.