Skip to content

BREAST DISCHARGE IN A NON-BREASTFEEDING WOMAN- What could be the cause?

The following are some of the few causes of breast discharge in women. To understand this, we need to see the drawing and labeling of the breast:

Structure of breast in its simplest form.


CAUSES

1.         Breast duct ectasia: – The cause of this pathology remains unknown as described by many literatures. There is dilatation of the breast duct and it is filled with creamy secretion with periductal inflammation.

Sign and symptoms:- Nipple discharge of blood serous or yellow fluid and nipple retraction.

Treatment involves surgical excision of the major duct and correction of nipple retraction.

2.         Chronic breast abscess: This often result from poorly treated acute abscess. The breast is thickened with pus. Treatment involves excision.

3.         Breast-cancer

4.         Pregnancy:- In pregnancy, the lactiferous duct and alveoli develop and grow under the stimulus of estrogen, progesterone and prolactin. From 3-4months, colostrum can be expressed from the breast.

Breast changes in pregnancy.

5.         Lactation: – After delivery, the reduction in mother’s oestrogen and progesterone enable prolactin to act uninhibited on the breast causing milk secretion to start after delivery.

6.         Hyper-prolactinemia: – This condition is characterized with increase in serum prolactin. This increase in prolactin level causes milk secretion from the breast leading to associated with irregular menstrual flow, absence of menses or fertility.

Other causes of breastmilk discharge include pituitary microadenoma, macroadenoma, prolactinoma etc.

Should you notice something unusual about your breast(s), speak with a doctor today. A stitch in time saves nine.