Feasibility and Therapeutic Efficacy of Ductoscopic Papilloma Extraction in Patients With Pathologic Nipple Discharge

Overview

In this prospective clinical trial, patients who sign an approved informed consent for ductoscopy to assess etiology of Pathologic nipple discharge (PND) will be enrolled in the study. Consented patients who have been diagnosed with a solitary papilloma within the discharging duct will be recruited to have interventional ductoscopy. Patients who are identified ductoscopically with a solitary non-sessile papilloma will undergo an attempted ductoscopic papillectomy (DP). Patients with ductoscopic findings other than single non-sessile papilloma will undergo standard ductoscopically guided microductectomy. The investigators will investigate whether the ductoscopic basket can be used as a safe endoscopic extraction instrument without adverse events. Histopathological evaluation will be performed to confirm the ductoscopic diagnosis and to determine the existence of any malignant tissue.

Nipple discharge is the third most common breast related symptom for which women seek medical care, accounting for 37% of all breast complaints. Pathologic nipple discharge (PND) is defined as spontaneous or easily expressible single duct nipple discharge, which contributes to 5% of referrals to breast surgeons. Patients with PND represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the surgical clinician. The most frequent causes of PND in these cases are intraductal papilloma (IP) in 36% to 66%, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 3% to 20% and other benign causes in up to 23%. The evaluation of women with PND usually involves radiological(mammography, ultrasound, ducto (galacto)graphy and cytological (nipple smear, ductal lavage) examinations; however, each of these procedures has found to have low sensitivity and specificity. A ductoscope is an instrument which allows visualization of abnormalities and polypoid lesions within the ductal system with access via the nipple orifice to aid in evaluation of PND. Moreover, it is currently being used to improve localization of lesions in patients with PND. Ductoscopically guided excision is an improvement over standard surgical approaches with terminal duct excision which removes a large volume of tissue with potential cosmetic deformity and for young women may make breast feeding not possible. Ductoscopy also allows retrieval of intraductal cells for diagnostic purposes using brush cytology.