What Causes Bloody Nipple Discharge?

Bloody nipple discharge can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'needs attention' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose bloody nipple discharge, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "bloody nipple discharge" as a symptom. Here are three possibilities:

Breast Cancer
Male Breast Cancer
Drug Side-Effects

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

elevated B12 levels

low aerobic exercise level

single-pore nipple discharge

low lymphocyte count

moderate alcohol consumption

blue/bluish fingernails

frequent swollen axillary nodes

discharge from one nipple only

whitish nipple discharge

occasionally feeling unusually cold

highly elevated eosinophil count

non-human estrogen use

... and more than 20 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of bloody nipple discharge:

Cause	Probability	Status
Male Breast Cancer	93%	Confirm
Drug Side-Effects	17%	Unlikely
Breast Cancer	2%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate having nipple problems, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

If you have any unusual discharge from your nipples, is it bloodstained?

Possible responses:

→ Don't know / I am pregnant or lactating
→ There is no discharge
→ No
→ Yes

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either no blood in nipple discharge or bloodstained nipple discharge, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

(Prescription) Drug Side-Effects

Some medications can cause non-bloody nipple discharge. The most common culprits are cimetidine (for stomach problems), oral contraceptives, some antidepressant and other drugs for psychological problems, and domperidone (for nausea). Even if you have not noticed any blood, your doctor may ask you to try to squeeze a few drops out, and will test it for microscopic blood.

Male Breast Cancer

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