Breast Development and Anatomy

Abstract

In this article, the development of the female breast, as well as the functional anatomy, blood supply, innervation and lymphatic drainage are described. A thorough understanding of the breast anatomy is an important adjunct to a meticulous clinical breast examination. Breast examination is a complex skill involving key maneuvers, including careful inspection and palpation. Clinical breast examination can provide an opportunity for the clinician to educate patients about their breast and about breast cancer, its symptoms, risk factors, early detection, and normal breast composition, and specifically variability. Clinical breast examination can help to detect some cancers not found by mammography, and clinicians should not override their examination findings if imaging is not supportive of the physical findings.

Correlation between the inframammary fold and sixth rib: Application to breast reconstruction

“…Then, at 5 months, the ectoderm branches out to the mesoderm, forming the lactiferous system. The mesoderm grows into connective/adipose tissues, and a collagen bundle is formed in the IMF region (Morehead, ; Pandya and Moore, ).…”

Breast

“…The tone varies from pale pink to dark brown depending on various factors including age, parity, and general skin pigmentation (Pandya and Moore 2011). The tone varies from pale pink to dark brown depending on various factors including age, parity, and general skin pigmentation (Pandya and Moore 2011).…”

“…St George's University, School of Medicine, St Georges, Grenada Pandya and Moore (2011) and Hunt et al (2010).…”

Intercostal nerve block of the anterior cutaneous branches and the sensibility of the female breast

“…Available information about the subcutaneous course and distribution of the nerves supplying the breast skin and NAC is scarce and contradictory. There is consensus about the anterior and lateral cutaneous branches of the 4th ICN supplying the NAC (Cooper, ; Craig & Sykes, ; Edwards, ; Gabka & Bohmert, ; Goldwyn, ; Jaspars, Posma, van Immerseel, & Gittenberger‐de Groot, ; Moore et al, ; Pandya & Moore, ; Sarhadi, Shaw Dunn, Lee, & Soutar, ; Schlenz, Kuzbari, Gruber, & Holle, ; Schünke, Schulte, Schumacher, Voll, & Wesker, ). However, this agreement is largely based on cadaver studies without magnification loupes dating back to 1840 (Cooper, ) and other studies lacking histological validation (Craig & Sykes, ; Eckhard, ; Farina, Newby, & Alani, ).…”

“…However, this agreement is largely based on cadaver studies without magnification loupes dating back to 1840 (Cooper, ) and other studies lacking histological validation (Craig & Sykes, ; Eckhard, ; Farina, Newby, & Alani, ). In addition, some studies made conflicting statements about the existence of a subdermal neural plexus (Craig & Sykes, ; Farina et al, ; Jaspars et al, ; le Roux, Pan, Matousek, & Ashton, ; Pandya & Moore, ; Sarhadi et al, ).…”