Can ductal ectasia heal on its own?

Mammary duct ectasia is a common disease that requires surgery. Generally, women will experience such symptoms before and after menopause. The common cause of this disease is hormonal stimulation and ductal drainage disorders, and most of the time, only one breast is affected. If duct ectasia occurs, timely treatment is required, and most patients cannot heal themselves.

Can ductal ectasia heal on its own?

Mammary duct ectasia is common in multiparous women around the time of menopause, in the already degenerated mammary gland, usually affecting only one breast. Generally, mammary duct ectasia is difficult to heal on its own. The main manifestation is varying degrees of dilation of the subareolar lactiferous ducts. If the decomposition products of lipid substances accumulated in the dilated milk ducts seep out of the ducts, it may lead to non-lactation mastitis. The main symptom in the early stage is nipple discharge, which is often brown or purulent. If there is no breast lump, you can also observe it temporarily. Once it develops into non-lactation mastitis, it can only be cured by surgery.

What are the causes of ductal ectasia?

1. Catheter excretion disorder:

(1) Congenital nipple deformity, depression, uncleanness or foreign hair and fibers may cause blockage of the nipple pore, abnormal duct development, poor mammary structure, epithelial hyperplasia, inflammation, injury, etc., which may cause duct stenosis, interruption or occlusion. Poor duct drainage is often the main reason for the progression of the galactorrhea stage to the lump stage.

(2) Secretions accumulate in the duct, causing duct dilatation.

(3) In some middle-aged and elderly women, due to ovarian dysfunction, the mammary ducts undergo degeneration, the duct walls relax, and the contractility of the myoepithelial cells decreases, leading to accumulation of secretions in the ducts and expansion of the duct lumen, causing this disease.

2. Abnormal hormone stimulation:

Abnormal sex hormone stimulation can induce abnormal secretion of the duct epithelium, causing the duct to dilate significantly.

Generally speaking, the presence of obstruction alone without abnormal hormonal stimulation to promote epithelial secretion will not cause duct dilatation.