Cytology of nipple discharge

Collection: Soak nipple with warm saline in cotton or gauze for 10-15 minutes, then gently stroke subareolar area and nipple with thumb and forefinger. When liquid appears, allow drop to accumulate on apex of the nipple. Place drop on slide.

Nipple discharge cytology is a simple, non-invasive method that complements other methods and could provide valuable information in detecting an underlying malignancy. For galactography, the sensitivity was 56.3% to 83.0% and specificity was 26.7% to 62.4%.