PURPOSE: to evaluate painful sensitivity and factors involved in producing papillary fluid suitable for cytological analysis by means of automated collection. METHODS: we selected 50 asymptomatic women without a personal or family history of breast cancer, outside the pregnancy and childbirth cycle in order to collect papillary fluid by the automated system. We recorded and related to the production of papillary fluid patient age, smoking habit, previous breast surgery, parity, breastfeeding, menopausal status and age at menarche. All material collected was fixed in appropriate place, and sent separately for cytological analysis. The painful sensitivity of the collection procedure was assessed using the Borg Category-Ratio Scale (CR10 Scale). RESULTS: patient age ranged from 22 to 59 years, mean 41.6±8.6 years. Of the 50 patients, 20 (40%) showed no papillary fluid suitable for analysis in the breasts. In those patients from whom appropriate fluid was obtained for analysis of papillary cytology, parity was inversely related to the ability to obtain suitable cell samples with a level of statistical significance of p=0.035, OR=0.0032 (95%CI=0.0001-0.1388). Regarding soreness, the exam was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: the automated method of fluid collection for analysis of papillary cytology was well tolerated by the women; thus producing analyzable material in 60% of cases, a rate was inversely related to parity.
Breast neoplasms; Nipples; Cytodiagnosis; Pain
