1994 Volume 55 Issue 5 Pages 1072-1076
In order to clarify the clinical significance of CEA measurement in nipple discharge, 75 nipple discharges with nonpalpable mass were studied retrospectively.
1) Lesions showing higher CEA levels than the cut off value (400ng/ml) represented 48% of all lesions.
2) Histological diagnoses of 20 single duct discharge lesions, which showed higher CEA levels than the cut off value and resected by microdochectomy, included noninvasive breast cancer in one, border line in 2, intraductal papilloma in 2, chronic inflammation in 2, and mastopathy in 13 lesions.
3) The lesions in which occult blood test resulted in negative or no duct graphic abnormalities were shown were all of mastopathy. Occult blood test resulted in ± for noninvasive breast cancer.
Even benign lesions can have nipple discharge with higher CEA levels than the cut off value. In the decision-making for indication of microdochectomy, the results of occult blood test and duct graphy findings should be combinedly considered. When CEA in nipple discharge is higher than the cut off value, the lesions revealing occult blood test of ± or more, or graphic abnormalities can be probable cadidates for indication of microdochectomy.
