A menopausal woman comes to the clinic with complaints of thin, watery nipple discharge with blood present. The nurse would suspect which of the following disorders in this client?

Question

1. Mammary duct ectasia
2. Fibrocystic disease
3. Breast malignancy
4. Intraductal papillomas

Answer 1

4
Rationale 1: Discharge associated with mammary duct ectasia is thick and sticky, rather than thin and watery, as a result of inflammation of the lactiferous ducts.
Rationale 2: Fibrocystic disease is first seen when women are in their twenties, and discharge is typically straw-colored, clear, milky, or green.
Rationale 3: Malignancy that affects the nipple must be correlated with other physical findings, mammogram, and biopsy. In addition, discharge is not typically thin and watery with breast malignancy.
Rationale 4: Intraductal papillomas, which are small growths of epithelial cells that extend into the lumen of the lactiferous ducts, are the primary cause of thin, watery nipple discharge in women who are not pregnant or lactating and are more commonly found in menopausal women.