# Galactography

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Form of breast imaging

Medical diagnostic method

Galactography Full-field digital (FFD)-galactography (left) and Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT)-galactography (right) showing intraductal papilloma. Synonyms Ductography Purpose diagnostic procedure for viewing the milk ducts.

**Galactography** or **ductography** (or *galactogram*, *ductogram*) is a medical diagnostic procedure for viewing the [milk ducts](/source/Milk_ducts). The procedure involves the [radiography](/source/Radiography) of the ducts after injection of a radiopaque substance into the duct system through the nipple. The procedure is used for investigating the pathology of [nipple discharge](/source/Nipple_discharge).

Galactography is capable of detecting smaller abnormalities than [mammograms](/source/Mammogram), [MRI](/source/MRI) or [ultrasound](/source/Ultrasound) tests. With galactography, a larger part of the ductal system can be visualized than with the endoscopic investigation of a duct (called galactoscopy or [ductoscopy](/source/Ductoscopy)).

Causes for nipple discharge include [duct ectasia](/source/Duct_ectasia), [intraductal papilloma](/source/Intraductal_papilloma), and occasionally [ductal carcinoma in situ](/source/Ductal_carcinoma_in_situ) or [invasive ductal carcinoma](/source/Invasive_ductal_carcinoma).[1]

The standard treatment of galactographically suspicious breast lesions is to perform a surgical intervention on the concerned duct or ducts: if the discharge clearly stems from a single duct, then the excision of the duct ([microdochectomy](/source/Microdochectomy)) is indicated;[2] if the discharge comes from several ducts or if no specific duct could be determined, then a subareolar resection of the ducts ([Hadfield's procedure](/source/Hadfield's_procedure)) is performed instead.[2]

To avoid infection, galactography should not be performed when the nipple discharge contains [pus](/source/Pus).[3]

## See also

- [Galaxy](/source/Galaxy)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** William E. G. Thomas; Norbert Senninger (1 February 2008). [*Short Stay Surgery*](https://books.google.com/books?id=98ayAtsiasMC&pg=PA136). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 136. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-540-69028-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-540-69028-3).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RawlinsonAlderson2010-p219_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RawlinsonAlderson2010-p219_2-1) Nigel Rawlinson; Derek Alderson (29 September 2010). [*Surgery: Diagnosis and Management*](https://books.google.com/books?id=fxbDsuew0IkC&pg=PA219). John Wiley & Sons. p. 219. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4443-9122-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4443-9122-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Breast ductography"](http://radiopaedia.org/articles/breast-ductography-1). radiopaedia.org. Retrieved 4 November 2014.

v t e Tests and procedures involving the breast Breast surgery Breast-conserving surgery Lumpectomy Segmental resection Wide local excision Quadrantectomy Mastectomy Radical mastectomy Breast augmentation Trans-umbilical breast augmentation Mammaplasty Breast implant Breast reduction SPAIR Mastopexy Breast reconstruction Interventions on the Lactiferous ducts Ductal lavage Ductoscopy Microdochectomy Central duct excision Breast imaging Mammography Positron emission mammography Tomosynthesis Xeromammography Galactography Breast MRI Breast ultrasound Automated whole-breast ultrasound Scintimammography Elastography Other Breast biopsy Fine-needle aspiration Breast cancer screening Breast self-examination Ductal lavage Breast duct endoscopy

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Galactography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactography) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactography?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.