Duct ectasia of breast
Duct ectasia of the breast, mammary duct ectasia or plasma cell mastitis is a condition that occurs when a milk duct beneath the nipple widens, the duct walls thicken, and the duct fills with fluid. This is the most common cause of greenish discharge. Mammary duct ectasia can mimic breast cancer. It is a disorder of peri- or post-menopausal age.
| Duct ectasia of breast | |
|---|---|
| One of the symptoms of mammary duct ectasia is inverted nipples. | |
| Specialty | Breast surgery |
| Symptoms | nipple retraction, inversion, pain, green-brown discharge |
| Complications | nipple discharge, breast discomfort, infection, concern about breast cancer |
| Causes | Aging, smoking, inverted nipples |
| Diagnostic method | duct widening |
| Differential diagnosis | mammary duct ectasia, plasma cell mastitis, breast cancer |
Duct ectasia syndrome is a synonym for nonpuerperal mastitis, but the term has also been occasionally used to describe special cases of fibrocystic diseases or mastalgia or as a wastebasket definition of benign breast disease.
Correlation of duct widening with the "classical" symptoms of duct ectasia syndrome is unclear. However, duct widening was recently very strongly correlated with noncyclic breast pain.
Duct diameter is naturally variable, subject to hormonal interactions. Duct ectasia syndrome in the classical meaning is associated with additional histological changes.