The role and limitations of mammary ductoscope in management of pathologic nipple discharge

Mammary ductoscope allows visualization of the breast ductal wall and sampling of the abnormal area for diagnostic purposes. We are reporting our center experience in application of mammary ductoscope in detecting the underlying etiology of pathologic nipple discharge. Between November 2005 and December 2006 a total of 54 women, with spontaneous persistent nonlactational unilateral uniductal nipple discharge of no palpable lesions and negative breast sono-mammography, were included in the study for morphologic assessment of ductal epithelium, ductal lavage and ductoscopically guided procedures as punch biopsy and ductoscopically guided microdochectomy. Forty-one patients (76%) with nipple discharge were positive ductoscopically. Thirteen patients (24%) appeared normal. Ductoscopic lavage has a much more cellular yield than ordinary squeezing cytology. Ductal thickening by the ductoscope (11 cases) revealed to be hyperplasia on pathology (five cases), papilloma (two cases), atypical ductal hyperplasia (two cases), ductal carcinoma in situ (one case), and invasive breast carcinoma (one case). There was a significant association between intraductal visual observations and histopathologic diagnosis. Mammary Ductoscope is a promising tool in management of pathologic nipple discharge. Biopsy and ablation techniques can be performed during ductoscopy with correlation between visual findings and histopathology, but there are still some limitations of in clinical practice.