Breast Flashcards
What structures primarily compose the breasts?
Glandular tissue, fibrous tissue, and fatty matrix
Glandular tissue is also known as mammary glands.
Where are the mammary glands located?
In the subcutaneous tissue overlying the pectoralis major and minor muscles
What determines the size of the breasts?
The amount of fat surrounding the glandular tissue
What are the boundaries of each breast?
Transversally from the lateral border of the sternum to the midaxillary line and vertically from the second through the sixth ribs
What forms two-thirds of the underlying tissue of the breast?
Pectoral fascia covering the pectoralis major
What is the axillary process or tail of Spence?
A small part of the breast that extends along the inferolateral edge of the pectoralis major towards the axillary fossa
What is the retromammary space?
A loose subcutaneous tissue plane between the breast and the pectoral fascia
What do mammary glands produce?
Milk during lactation
How many lobes do mammary glands typically have?
12 to 20 lobes
What connects the lobes of the mammary glands?
Lactiferous ducts
What is the lactiferous sinus?
A dilated portion of the lactiferous duct deep to the areola
What composes the stroma of the breast?
Adipose tissue and fibrous connective tissue
What are the suspensory ligaments of Cooper?
Fibrous condensations that attach the mammary glands to the dermis of the overlying skin
Where are the nipples typically located?
Around the 4th intercostal space lateral to the mid clavicular line
What do sebaceous glands in the areola secrete?
An oily substance that acts as a lubricant
What is the composition of the nipples?
Circularly arranged smooth muscle fibers, no fat, hair, or sweat glands
What arteries supply blood to the breast?
- Medial mammary branches
- Lateral thoracic artery
- Thoracoacromial arteries
- Posterior intercostal arteries
Where do the medial mammary branches originate?
From the internal thoracic artery
What is the primary venous drainage of the breast?
Mainly drains into the axillary vein
Where does lymph from the nipple and areola initially drain?
To the subareolar lymphatic plexus
Where does lymph from the lateral breast quadrants primarily drain?
To the anterior or pectoral nodes and then to the axillary lymph nodes
What happens to lymph from the medial breast quadrants?
It drains to the parasternal lymph nodes or to the opposite breast
What nerves innervate the breast?
Anterior and lateral cutaneous branches of the 4th through 6th intercostal nerves
True or False: The areola is a pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple.
True
Fill in the blank: The _______ allows movement of the breast over underlying structures.
retromammary space
