What is the cause of the clear liquid coming out of the breast?

It is very normal for women to have symptoms of clear liquid squeezing out of their breasts during lactation, but if the symptoms occur during the non-lactation or non-pregnancy period, it may be related to some diseases, such as breast abscess, breast cystic hyperplasia, or even breast cancer. This phenomenon is also clinically called nipple discharge. So what is going on when clear fluid comes out of the breast?

First, what is the matter with the transparent liquid coming out of the breast? It is like milk. Most of them are physiological, such as in the immediate period after weaning or miscarriage, and are not a manifestation of cancer. Purulent discharge is mostly caused by duct ectasia and plasma cell mastitis. Light yellow discharge is the most common type of discharge and is seen in almost all breast diseases, with breast hyperplasia being the most common. Some of them are intraductal papilloma or breast cancer. Therefore, this requires vigilance. Bloody discharge can be different colors such as bright red, brown, light yellow, brown, etc. This type of discharge is a dangerous signal and should be viewed with high vigilance. 50% to 75% of these discharges are intraductal papilloma and 15% are breast cancer. If bloody discharge occurs after menopause, 75% of the time it is breast cancer. Clear water overflow, colorless and transparent, occasionally sticky, leaving no trace after overflow. This discharge may be a sign of breast cancer and should be further investigated.

Second, breast abscess. It is common in lactating women, with sticky, purulent discharge from infected ducts, accompanied by symptoms such as high fever, chills, breast pain, redness, swelling, tenderness, palpable nodules or fluctuations, and may also cause inverted nipples. Mammary duct ectasia. The first symptom of this disease is nipple discharge. The discharge is mostly brown in color, a few are bloody and viscous, and are often spontaneous. It is common in non-lactating women over 40 years old or menopausal women. Examination of the discharge can show a large number of plasma cells and lymphocytes but no tumor cells.

Third, intraductal papilloma. This disease is more common in people aged 40 to 50 years old. 75% of the tumors occur in the area near the nipple. The tumors are very small, pedunculated and villous, and have many thin-walled blood vessels, so they are prone to bleeding. Laboratory examination can find tumor cells in the discharge. Sometimes, when patients carefully palpate their breasts, they may find a cherry-sized lump under the areola, which is soft, smooth, and movable. Breast pain may also occur.

What happens when clear liquid is squeezed out of the breast? This condition is also related to breast cystic hyperplasia. It is more common in women of childbearing age. The nipple discharge of some patients is yellow-green, brown, bloody or colorless serous, and laboratory tests show no tumor cells in the discharge. The two main characteristics of this disease are: one is the periodic distension and pain of the breast, which increases or decreases with menstrual changes; the other is the breast lumps, which vary in size, are tough but not hard, and have no adhesion to the skin.