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:

Male Breast Cancer
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:

short-term low-carb dieting

frequent bizarre dreams

having low melatonin levels

breast cancer in family members

single-pore nipple discharge

discharge from one nipple only

highly elevated lymphocyte count

history of breast cancer

yellow-green nipple discharge

early puberty onset

discontinued non-human estrogen use

significant abdominal distension

... 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
Breast Cancer	95%	Confirm
Drug Side-Effects	26%	Unlikely
Male 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:

Breast Cancer

Nipple discharge can be a symptom of breast cancer, particularly if it is bloodstained. You should definitely discuss any nipple discharge with a doctor – especially if you are a man, because the usual cause is a tumor and you will need treatment.

Male Breast Cancer

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