Nonpuerperal nipple discharge in Nigerian women.

100 Nigerian women were entered into a prospective study of spontaneous occurring nipple discharge over a seven year period. The patients consisted of 25 study group patients and three groups of 25 patients comprising the controls. In the study group, seven types of nipple discharge were identified, namely: bloody (40%), watery (4%), and milky (4%). Intraductal papilloma and other benign breast disease were the cause of nipple discharge in 23 of 25 (88%) study group patients. Only 28% of breast cancer patients in control group A, 16% of bloody or serosanguineous and 16% of benign breast tumor patients of control group B presented with nipple discharge. Nipple discharge was an incidental finding in 16% of normal control group C patients. Thus Nigerian women are more likely to seek medical intervention for bloody and serosanguineous discharge. Surgical management remains the optimal management for nipple discharge.