A Non-Invasive breast scan aims to find the cause of nipple discharge
NCT ID NCT05812040
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Women with pathological nipple discharge often need surgery to find the cause, but standard mammograms and ultrasounds can miss cancer. Researchers are testing a non-invasive breast scan called high-resolution magnetic resonance ductography (HR-MRD) that uses a powerful magnet and a tiny coil to take detailed pictures inside the milk ducts. The trial enrolls 134 women with pathological nipple discharge to see how well HR-MRD detects lesions that need surgical removal, compared with standard MR ductography.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- High-resolution magnetic resonance ductography, a non-invasive breast imaging scan
- What this could lead to
- If it works, women with pathological nipple discharge could avoid invasive surgery just to find the cause, getting answers from a scan instead.
- What could go wrong
- The scan may miss small lesions or give unclear pictures, and it is still being tested against surgery, so it cannot replace standard checks yet.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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134 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2023
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Female patients aged between 18 and 75 years old. * Pathological nipple discharge patients who received treatment at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. The diagnostic criteria for pathological nipple discharge include unilateral, single duct orifice, and spontaneous discharge of serous or bloody fluid. Patients who meet any of the above criteria are considered as pathological discharge. * Willing to sign an informed consent form for clinical research and undergo HR-MRD and MRD examination. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who have undergone surgery on the nipple-areolar complex of the PND breast side within the past year. * Patients who have claustrophobia or metal implants in their body, which are not suitable for MRI scans. * Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China
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