Ductoscopy

Ductoscopy, also called Galaktoskopie or ductal mirroring, is a minimally invasive method for viewing (mirroring) of the milk ducts of the breast.

Applications

In the senology, a sub-discipline of gynecology and surgery, the Ductoscopy for diagnosis in unclear liquid discharge from the nipple is applied. This secretion can be caused by benign and malignant neoplasms such as papillomas of the milk ducts or breast cancer. Unlike galactography, an additional mammographic procedure there at the Ductoscopy the milk duct look directly from within and thus detect even the smallest changes.

Implementation

After a description of the area by ultrasound secretion is triggered probed the duct in question and somewhat dilated under general or local anesthesia by pressure. After this it can be a semi flexible ductoscope a sleeve under filling the milk duct to introduce with physiological saline. The instrument has a length of 7.5 to 9.5 cm, so that the milk duct to this length can investigate with its ramifications. When abnormalities cytology smears or targeted biopsies can be obtained.

History

The method of Ductoscopy was the first time in 1988 by M. Teboul, a French radiologist, published and continually developed ever since. In 1995, a working group at the Ruprecht -Karls- University of Heidelberg began to devote himself to the method in Germany. 1999 Ductoscopy at the Ernst- Moritz- Arndt- University Greifswald, be the first institution in Germany, under the leadership of Ralf Ohlinger has been established and used clinically.