Anatomy of the Breasts

Question 1

What are the general features of the breasts?

Answer 1

Highly specialised sweat glands
No special capsule or sheath
More developed in females

Question 2

What is the location of the breasts?

Answer 2

2nd/3rd rib to 6th rib

Sternal edge to midaxillary line

Question 3

What is the axillary tail?

Answer 3

Small part of the breast that may extend towards the axillary fossa

Question 4

How is the breasts attached to the skin?

Answer 4

Suspensory ligament of Cooper

Question 5

What muscles are the breasts related to in location?

Answer 5

2/3rds rest on the pectoral fascia covering pectoralis major
1/3rd rests on fascia covering serratus anterior

Question 6

What is the areola?

Answer 6

Pigmented area around the nipple

Question 7

How many lobules does each breast contain?

Answer 7

15-20

Question 8

How are the lobules drained?

Answer 8

Lactiferous duct

Question 9

What is the location of the nipple?

Answer 9

4th intercostal space

Question 10

What is the nipple composed of?

Answer 10

Collagenous dense connective tissue
Elastic fibres
Smooth muscle

Question 11

Name the quadrants of the breast

Answer 11

Superolateral quadrant
Inferolateral quadrant
Superomedial quadrant
Inferomedial quadrant

Question 12

What quadrant is the axillary tail part of?

Answer 12

Superolateral quadrant

Question 13

What is gynaecomastia?

Answer 13

Postnatal development of rudimentary lactiferous ducts in males

Question 14

What is polymastia?

Answer 14

Extra breast

Question 15

What is polythelia?

Answer 15

Extra nipple

Question 16

What is athelia?

Answer 16

Absence of nipple

Question 17

What is amastia?

Answer 17

Absence of breast

Question 18

What is the blood supply to the breasts?

Answer 18

Thoraco acromial artery
Lateral thoracic artery
Internal mammary artery

Question 19

What are the nerves of the breasts?

Answer 19

Anterior and lateral cutaneous branches of 4th-6th intercostal nerves

Question 20

What type of information does the nerve supply of the breast carry?

Answer 20

Sympathetic fibres to the blood vessels and smooth muscle around nipple
Sensory fibres to skin of breast

Question 21

What is the lymphatic drainage of the breasts?

Answer 21

Lateral quadrants - axillary nodes
Medial quadrants - parasternal nodes
Supraclavicualar or inferior cervical nodes

Question 22

What is the clinical role of the sentinel node?

Answer 22

First draining node, uses for lymphatic mapping and staging of breast cancer

Question 23

How is the breast soft tissue composed?

Answer 23

Network of glandular tissue consisting of branching ducts and secretory lobules in a connective tissue stroma

Question 24

What changes occur in breast tissue during puberty?

Answer 24

Branching of lactiferous ducts
Solid, spheroidal masses of granular polyhedral cells
Accumulation of lipids in the adipocytes

Question 25

What changes occur in breast tissue post-menopause?

Answer 25

Progressive atrophy of lobules and ducts

Fatty replacement of glandular tissue

Question 26

What changes occur in breast tissue during pregnancy?

Answer 26

Enlarged lobules
Acini are dilated
Epithelium vary from cuboidal to low columnar

Question 27

What changes occur in breast tissue during lactation?

Answer 27

Acini distended with milk

Thin septa between lobules

Question 28

What diagnostic methods can be used in breast tissue?

Answer 28

Mammography
Ultrasound
Fine needle aspiration cytology
Core biopsy

Question 29

What is Paget’s disease of the nipple?

Answer 29

Erosion of the nipple resembling eczema

Associated with ductal or invasive carcinoma

Question 30

What are the main types of benign breast tumours?

Answer 30

Fibroadenomas
Duct papillomas
Adenomas
Connective tissue tumours