WHAT IS GALACTOGRAPHY (DUCTOGRAPHY)?

Why and when is galactography performed?

This is the general name for the test used to detect very small (2-3 mm) tumors within the milk ducts. These very small tumors, located within the milk ducts, are not visible on standard mammograms. They can only be detected by injecting medication (contrast material) into the milk ducts.

Mammography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer various advantages in breast imaging, but they do not provide as good a visualization of the milk ducts as galactography.

In cases where persistent bloody or clear discharge from the nipple is most often present, but mammography results are normal, small tumors within the milk ducts need to be identified. Galactrography is performed by injecting medication into the milk ducts to detect them. If discharge occurs from both breasts, the cause is usually hormonal, and galactography is not necessary.