Galactography is a type of contrast-enhanced mammography that is used to diagnose the cause of blood or any other liquid flowing out of the nipples, outside of the breastfeeding period.
This exam is indicated for women and can hurt a little, because for its performance it is necessary to inject about 1 ml of contrast through an injection in the nipples, performing the digital mammography normally, right afterwards. Find out how it is done here.
This liquid will highlight the inside of the milk ducts responsible for the fluid leaving and can be useful to indicate the presence of blocked ducts due to cysts or nodules that can be benign or malignant. Usually a clogged duct is caused by a papilloma that is not a cancer but that can be a precancerous lesion and should therefore be investigated.
When not to
Contrast mammography should not be performed during pregnancy or breastfeeding, in women with allergy to the contrast used and also in case of severe infection that can spread due to the presence of the medication or the pressure exerted on the breasts.
What can cause fluid to leak out of the nipples
The nipples are used to convey breast milk to the baby and must only allow fluids to escape during breastfeeding. When the woman notices any liquid coming out of her nipples, she should go to the gynecologist to investigate what is happening. Some possible causes are the use of drugs such as phenothiazines, antihypertensives or narcotics, hypothyroidism or even a tumor in the pituitary gland. When these possibilities are excluded, the doctor may request a contrast mammogram to help with the diagnosis.
