[Selective galactophorectomy for mono-orificial nipple discharge without associated mass: technique and results. Apropos of seventy-three cases]

A single duct mammary discharge is a sign of an underlying disease: inflammatory, benign proliferative disease or even cancer. Selective resection of a ductolobular tree insures appropriate diagnosis and causative and definitive treatment of the discharge. Mammogram is essential. Galactography is quite usefull and reliable but may be unindicated or contraindicated. Surgery includes catheterization of the hole, methylene blue dye staining of the duct, circumareolar or radial incision, dissection, pyramidal resection of the whole galactophoric tree and closure with a retracting suture of the nipple. Woman's age, color of the discharge, pre-operative galactography suggest the diagnosis which has been in our series of 73 cases an inflammatory process in 53.4% of cases, a benign proliferative in 42.5% of cases and an epithelioma in situ in 4.1% of cases. The 46 cases of serous, serosanguinous or sanguinous discharge were due to an inflammatory process in 15 cases (32.6%), a benign proliferative in 28 cases (60.9%) and an in situ carcinoma in 3 cases (6.5%).