Ductoscopy procedure

The ductoscope is usually inserted through the breast, takes a relatively short time, and usually no anesthesia is given. Although the process is short, it is still a bit painful. During the examination, the patient's changes need to be observed at all times. Stop immediately if you feel any discomfort and wipe off the secretions during examination. This method can be used to detect many diseases, especially infections, which are relatively common.

The ultrafine duct endoscope is composed of an ultrafine optical fiber image bundle, a light guide, a tiny self-focusing mirror and a lens. Through the ultrafine duct endoscope examination, the condition of the breast duct wall and the ductal secretions can be clearly observed. If there is a space-occupying lesion, its color, size, shape, smoothness, etc. can be described.

Breast ductal carcinoma, intraductal papilloma, and ductal inflammation each have their own characteristic ductal endoscopic manifestations, and thus a diagnosis can be made based on this. Another function of the duct endoscope is to perform a biopsy of the lesion under the guidance of the duct endoscope to obtain a pathological diagnosis; to mark the lesion on the skin surface or to accurately locate the surgery by placing a positioning guide wire under the duct endoscope; and to treat benign diseases in the milk duct through the duct endoscope.

1. For patients with various nipple discharges, especially those with bloody or yellow discharges, the incidence of tumorous lesions in the milk ducts is about 1/3 to 1/2. In addition, many patients with white discharges are also caused by tumors in the milk ducts, and all of them need surgical treatment after ductoscopy.

2. Tumors in the areola area with nipple discharge. Most tumors in this area are intraductal tumors or fibroadenomas, which are closely related to the milk ducts. Ductoscopy can identify the diseased milk ducts, thereby guiding the surgery to accurately remove the tumor and the diseased milk ducts, reducing the chance of local recurrence after surgery;

4. Mastodynia is a type of breast hyperplasia, which is partly caused by the blockage of the proximal milk duct, which causes poor drainage and twisting of the distal milk duct. Duct lavage and dredging under a ductoscope can help to clarify the diagnosis and achieve a certain therapeutic effect.