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Duct endoscopy and endoscopic biopsy in the evaluation of nipple discharge

M Makita1, G Sakamoto, F Akiyama

  • 1Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Tokyo, Japan.

Insights

Endoscopic biopsy using duct endoscopy allows for minimally invasive diagnosis of nipple discharge causes. This technique accurately identifies benign and malignant intraductal lesions, preserving healthy breast tissue.

Area of Science:

  • Surgical Oncology
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Gastroenterology (Endoscopy)

Background:

  • Microdochectomy, a common procedure for nipple discharge, often involves extensive tissue removal.
  • Intraductal proliferative lesions, including papilloma and carcinoma, are frequent causes of nipple discharge.
  • There is a need for less invasive diagnostic methods to evaluate these lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and evaluate the efficacy of duct endoscopy for mammary duct systems.
  • To assess the utility of endoscopic biopsy in diagnosing intraductal proliferative lesions.
  • To compare endoscopic biopsy with traditional methods for nipple discharge evaluation.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a duct endoscopy system for the mammary duct.
  • Performance of endoscopic biopsy under local anesthesia (Xylocaine jelly).
  • Procedure involves bougie insertion, outer cylinder and needle placement, endoscope insertion, lesion localization, and sample aspiration.

Main Results:

  • Duct endoscopy was performed on 22 cases, with endoscopic biopsy in 16 cases.
  • Accurate diagnosis of 10 benign and 5 malignant lesions was achieved through cytological and/or histological examination.
  • The procedure demonstrated reliability in obtaining diagnostic samples.

Conclusions:

  • Endoscopic biopsy, facilitated by duct endoscopy, is a valuable diagnostic tool for nipple discharge.
  • This minimally invasive approach aids in the accurate evaluation of intraductal lesions.
  • The technique is considered useful and harmless for diagnosing the cause of nipple discharge.

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