Breast surgery: nipple discharge: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Breast surgery: nipple discharge

Sample item

A patient has spontaneous unilateral bloody nipple discharge from a single duct, without a palpable mass. Which benign lesion is a common cause but still warrants specialist assessment?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Intraductal papilloma

Intraductal papilloma is a common benign cause of spontaneous unilateral bloody nipple discharge, but pathologic discharge requires investigation to exclude malignancy. Assessment commonly includes imaging and targeted evaluation.

Option by option

  • A. Intraductal papilloma (correct)

    Correct. Papillomas arise in ducts and often cause bloody single-duct discharge.

  • B. Simple breast cyst

    Simple cysts commonly cause a lump or discomfort, not characteristic bloody discharge.

  • C. Fibroadenoma

    Fibroadenoma usually presents as a mobile solid mass rather than nipple discharge.

  • D. Mastitis

    Mastitis produces inflammatory breast pain, erythema, and often systemic symptoms.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Intraductal papilloma. Intraductal papilloma is a common benign cause of spontaneous unilateral bloody nipple discharge, but pathologic discharge requires investigation to exclude malignancy.

Why is "Simple breast cyst" not the answer?

Simple cysts commonly cause a lump or discomfort, not characteristic bloody discharge.

Why is "Fibroadenoma" not the answer?

Fibroadenoma usually presents as a mobile solid mass rather than nipple discharge.

Why is "Mastitis" not the answer?

Mastitis produces inflammatory breast pain, erythema, and often systemic symptoms.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Breast surgery: nipple discharge in General Surgery. Assessment commonly includes imaging and targeted evaluation.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Breast surgery: nipple discharge?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.