White discharge from the nipple indicates the presence of nipple discharge. If you have a white discharge from the nipple during non-pregnancy, or if there is still milk flowing even after stopping breastfeeding for more than six months, it is called nipple overflow.
The overflow can be milk-like, clear, bloody, plasma, or purulent, and the amount of overflow can be large or small, with inconsistent intervals, and can be single- or multitubular.
People who have overflow with the following factors are at high risk for breast cancer: 1) patients aged ≥40 years, especially ≥60 years; 2) bloody overflow; 3) unilateral or monoductal overflow; 4) concomitant breast masses.
Intraductal papilloma often has nipple discharge as the first symptom, mostly bloody, and intraductal papilloma overflow accounts for approximately 50% of pathologic overflow.
Very few patients with mastocytosis can also present with nipple discharge, often bilateral with multiple ductal orifices, which can be watery, yellow plasma-like, milky, or cloudy.
So if you have nipple discharge, especially if you have high risk factors for breast cancer, please go to the hospital for breast-related examinations such as ultrasound of the breast and surrounding lymph nodes and mammogram for a clear diagnosis and early detection and treatment.