Bloody nipple discharge in infancy: a case report and recommendations for management

We report a 5-month-old male infant with benign unilateral bloody nipple discharge, and we present a brief review of 20 previously described cases of bloody nipple discharge in infancy. On the basis of our case and previous reports, we offer recommendations for the management of the bloody nipple discharge in the first year of life: (1) diagnosis should be based on noninvasive diagnostic procedures, in the absence of dubious ultrasound or cytological diagnostic findings; (2) the condition resolves spontaneously, and surgical intervention should be avoided; (3) manipulation of the nipple can prolong the bleeding; (4) antibiotics should be given only in the presence of clear clinical and cytological signs of infection; and (5) parent reassurance is an important part of infantile bloody nipple discharge management.