The condition known as galactorrhea causes milk to leak from the breasts. The most prominent symptom of galactorrhea is the occurrence of the condition in individuals who are not breastfeeding or pregnant. Stimulation, medicine, or dysfunction of the pituitary gland can all lead to this condition.
Galactorrhea most often happens to women or people who were assigned female at birth (AFAB), but it can also happen to men or people who were assigned male at birth (AMAB), as well as to children. People who have been pregnant and are between 20 and 35 years old are most likely to have it.
Galactorrhea is a condition that occurs when a woman’s breasts produce milk or a milk-like discharge for no apparent reason. It’s possible that your breast will leak this nipple discharge on its own or when it’s touched. It has nothing to do with the production of breast milk during pregnancy or breastfeeding (chestfeeding).
Galactorrhea can be an indicator of a more serious underlying health condition, although in most cases, it is brought on by an excess of prolactin. Milk production can be stimulated by the hormone known as prolactin. The pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain, is responsible for producing it.
Most people with galactorrhea have a tumour on their pituitary gland that is not cancerous. Too much prolactin is being made by your pituitary gland because of the tumour (hyperprolactinemia). Prolactin is the hormone that helps you make milk after giving birth. When you have too much prolactin, your body thinks it needs to make milk, which is why you leak milk from your nipples.
Some other causes are:
When you’re not breastfeeding or pregnant, the main sign of galactorrhea is leaking a light white, milk-like fluid. It usually happens in both breasts and can leak when you squeeze your nipple or on its own.
There may be other signs of galactorrhea, such as:
It can be hard to figure out what causes galactorrhea because there are so many possible causes. The following testing can be done to know the root cause of nipple discharge:
During a physical exam, your doctor may try to get some of the fluid out of your nipple by gently looking at the area around it. Your doctor may also look for breast lumps or other suspicious areas of thickened breast tissue.
Analyzing the fluid that comes out of the nipple to see if there are fat droplets in the fluid can help confirm that the person has Galactorrhea.
A blood test to see how much prolactin is in your body. If your level of prolactin is high, your doctor will likely also check your level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
A pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy as a cause of the discharge from the nipple.
Mammography, ultrasound, or both, to get pictures of your breast tissue if your doctor finds a lump in your breast or notices other changes in your breasts or nipples that seem odd. If your blood test shows that your prolactin level is high, an MRI of your brain will be done to look for a tumour or other problem with your pituitary gland.
If your doctor thinks that a medicine you’re taking might be the cause of your galactorrhea, he or she might tell you to stop taking the medicine for a short time so that this possible cause can be checked out.
The best way to treat galactorrhea depends on what is causing it. Some people don’t need any treatment because it goes away on its own.
Your doctor may also suggest the following to treat the condition:
When galactorrhea is caused by a pituitary tumour, the tumour is usually harmless (not cancerous). If the tumour doesn’t cause any other problems, your doctor may decide that you don’t need treatment.
If a pituitary tumour needs to be treated, it is usually done with drugs that make the tumour smaller. In rare cases, a pituitary tumour may need surgery or radiation therapy to be removed or shrunk.
About
Dr. Mansi Chowhan
Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon-Surgical Oncologist
MS (Gold Medalist), FIAGES, MCh Breast Oncoplasty (UK), Fellow Breast Surgery (Paris), Fellow Head & Neck Surgery, IFHNOS – MSKCC (New York)
Dr. Mansi Chowhan is an expert Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon with experience of more than 14 years and has been awarded with a gold medal during her surgical post-graduation. Dr. Mansi is well-trained from world renowned surgeons and cancer institutions like the Paris Breast Centre, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (New York), University of East Anglia (U.K.) and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. She is a skilled surgeon with over 14 years of experience in some of the best hospitals in the Delhi- NCR region including Fortis Hospital, Artemis Hospital, Paras Hospital and Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, CK Birla Hospital. She works with utmost dedication and compassion to deliver international standard and personalized cancer care to the patients.
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