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Updated: Aug 21, 2026
Endoscopic Bilateral Nipple-sparing Mastectomy via a Single Axillary Incision with Immediate Pre-pectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Published on: May 17, 2024
Prospective study of intraoperative mammary ductoscopy in patients undergoing partial mastectomy for breast cancer
Julian A Kim1, Joseph P Crowe, Joanne Woletz
1Department of General Surgery, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave., Desk A80, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. kimj@ccf.org
Background:
The purpose of this study was to critically evaluate the added benefit of intraoperative mammary ductoscopy on margin assessment and identification of occult intraductal pathology in patients undergoing therapeutic partial mastectomy for in-situ and invasive breast carcinoma.
Methods:
Eligible patients underwent intraoperative mammary ductoscopy before partial mastectomy. In patients where an intraductal abnormality was identified and the mammary ductoscope was not within the partial mastectomy cavity, an additional ductoscopy-directed margin of tissue was analyzed.
Results:
Nineteen of 30 (63%) patients yielded nipple aspirate fluid and were able to undergo mammary ductoscopy; an intraductal abnormality was identified in 15 of 19 (79%) patients. Only 1 patient had an occult infiltrating carcinoma, which was outside of the resection cavity and identified by ductoscopy.
Conclusions:
Although mammary ductoscopy can identify intraductal abnormalities during partial mastectomy in a significant number of patients, many of these findings may be either benign or within the standard field of resection, thus adding no benefit to the patient.
