Considerazioni Cliniche e Istomorfologiche Su 230 Casi di Mammella Secernente

Abstract

230 cases with mammary secretion observed at the Cancer Institute of Milan from 1928 to 1958 are reported. In 96 out of the 230 cases the secretion was dependent on a mammary carcinoma, in 58 on a cystic disease, in 33 on a papillomatosis, in 25 on manifestations of other type.

The secretion was hematic in 187 cases (81 per cent), serous in 37 (16 per cent) and of different type in 6 (3 per cent). The hematic secretion was more frequently found in the cases of carcinoma (97 per cent) than in papillomatosis (76 per cent) or cystic disease (67 per cent).

In 145 cases a palpable mass was present in the mammary gland. In 85 cases, on the other hand, no palpable mass was found. In 17 of these oases (i.e. in a fifth of the cases) the explorative operation revealed a carcinoma, mainly intraductal.

Relating these data to the 4675 cases of carcinoma, cystic disease and ductal papillomatosis observed at the Cancer Institute during 30 years, it is remarked that the mammary secretion represents a symptom which is rare in mammary carcinoma (96 out of 4,000 cases, or the 2.4 per cent), less unfrequent in the cystic disease (56 out of 605 cases, or the 9.6 per cent) and very frequent in the ductal papillomatosis (33 out of 70 cases, or the 47 per cent).