Nipple discharge is the abnormal release of fluid from the nipples of the breasts. It is the third major involving the breasts for which women seek medical attention, after lumps and breast pain. The risk of nipple discharge increases with both age and number of pregnancies, but is also known to occur in adolescent boys and girls going through puberty. Discharge often is the result of stimulation of the breasts or by irritation through clothing. The discharge is most often a cloudy white color but is also sometimes known to contain blood. This latter case is most often due to breast infection or papillomas.
Physiological nippledischarge usually occurs in both breasts and happens only when the breast tissue is manipulated in some way, such as by squeezing the nipple to check for discharge.
The nippledischarge results from tissue damaged by the blow and may be clear, yellow or bloody.
Nippledischarge rarely is a sign of breast cancer, but it's possible that discharge may indicate cancer is present within a duct (intraductal breast cancer) or outside the duct (invasive breast cancer).
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