Preoperative methylene blue staining of galactographically suspicious breast lesions

Int Surg. 1997 Oct-Dec;82(4):403-5.

Abstract

Microdochectomy is the standard treatment of galactographically suspicious breast lesions. Precise preoperative marking of the suspicious duct and intraductal lesions facilitates selective minimal-volume microdochectomy. Methylene blue dye staining fulfills this criterion. A retrospective review of our experience of preoperative methylene blue staining in 30 patients with unilateral spontaneous nonlactiferous single duct nipple discharge operated on during 1986-1995 in the Oulu University Hospital for galactographically suspicious breast lesions. Galactography was successful in 29 out of 30 (93.3%) cases. Preoperative methylene blue staining was attempted in all cases on the day of surgery and it was successful in 22 (73.3%) cases making subsequent selective minimal-volume microdochectomy easy to perform. The failure of methylene blue staining led to quadrantectomy in 4 cases and smaller breast resections in the remaining 4 cases. Preoperative methylene blue dye staining crucially facilitates selective minimal-volume microdochectomy. An interval between primary galactography and later methylene blue staining leads to failures in approximately one quarter of the cases. A higher success rate would necessitate scheduling the microdochectomy on the same day as the primary galactography (and the subsequent methylene blue staining in suspicious cases).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Breast Neoplasms / surgery
  • Coloring Agents*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Methylene Blue*
  • Middle Aged
  • Papilloma, Intraductal / diagnostic imaging
  • Papilloma, Intraductal / surgery
  • Preoperative Care
  • Radiography
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Coloring Agents
  • Methylene Blue