noticed lump

Hello, I am now 42 years old, when I was 27 the doctors noticed a small lump on my right side of breast and they did something with a needle. They told me they shouldn't operate because the lump was to small and it would leave more of a mess then anything. I had 3 mamagrams when I was that age. A few months later I noticed green discharge from that side of the breast. It is still here! Now my left breast is discharging green and a bit of yellow, yesterday I felt a little round hard lump in the middle of the left breast. When I touch it, it doesn't hurt but after I let go of it, it kind of aches for about 5 min. It just started last night with tingling in the left breast and last week the aveola was very itchy. I had a total hysterectomy 4 years ago. I was told when I was 27 that I also had fibrocystic disease. I take estrogen pills. I am in the process of getting heart tests because of chest pains, I have congestive heart failure. I don't know if this has anything do with this lump. Anyway I would like to know if it's something that could be important (the lump, green discharge and yellow, tingling, and a bit of ache after I stop touching it). If you have some answers that would be greatly appreciated.:)

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

From the way you describe the lump with the discharges it is possible that this could be a chronic infectious process.  This can be bacteria or a fungal infection that is already long standing.  Another probable cause is mycobacterium infection such as tuberculosis.  I agree that this breast discharge may have nothing to do with your other illnesses but this has to be assessed by your doctors as well.  They could get a sample of the discharge and have this cultured, and might as well get a biopsy of the lump to rule out a possible malignancy.  If this is a long standing infection, then a surgical drainage with antibiotics may be in order.  I suggest you have this seen by your doctor soon.

Regards and God bless.