What is ductography?
Why do physicians use ductograms?
What is the procedure for a ductogram?
Is the exam painful?
What are the benefits of ductography?
Who interprets the results of my exam?

What is ductography?
Ductography (also called galactography) is an examination that uses mammography and a contrast material to acquire pictures of the inside of the breast’s milk ducts.

Why do physicians use ductograms?
Ductography can aid in diagnosing the cause of abnormal nipple discharge. The majority of nipple discharges are due to benign causes. The most common use of ductography is to evaluate a patient who has a bloody or clear discharge and an otherwise normal mammogram. All persistent discharges should be reported to your family physician for further evaluation.

What is the procedure for a ductogram?
The ductography procedure takes between 30 minutes to an hour. This procedure will be performed by a radiologist. You will be seated for the procedure and must be able to elicit a small amount of fluid from your breast. Your breast will be cleaned before beginning the procedure. The radiologist will then insert a small hollow tube (called a blunt-tipped cannula) into the duct from which the discharge was seen.

A small amount of contrast material is then injected into the breast through a syringe that is connected to the cannula. A mammographic image is then obtained. A second injection and mammogram may be performed before the cannula is removed from the breast.

The breast duct filled with contrast material is then seen more clearly on the images and allows the radiologist to visualize any abnormalities that may be present.

Is the exam painful?
The ductogram procedure may be mildly uncomfortable, but is not painful. You may feel a sensation of pressure or fullness after the contrast material has been injected, which indicates that the duct is full and the images will be of great diagnostic quality.

What are the benefits of ductography?
Ductography can find small tumors that cannot be identified in any other way so they may be removed at an early stage. The exam identifies the location of the abnormalities for the surgeon. If there is an abnormality in the duct, only that duct can then be removed.

Who will interpret the results of my exam?
The radiologist that performed the procedure will analyze and interpret the results and send them to your primary care physician.