Chapter 18: Breasts, Axillae, & Regional Lymphatics (Exam #2)

Question 1

The breasts lie anterior to which muscles?

Answer 1

pectoralis major + serratus anterior

Question 2

The breasts are located between which ribs?

Answer 2

2nd and 6th

Question 3

Name for the superior lateral corner of the breast that projects up and laterally into the axilla:

Answer 3

Tail of Spence

Question 4

What small, elevated, sebaceous glands are located in the areola?

Answer 4

Montgomery glands

Question 5

What type of material do the Montgomery glands secrete during lactation?

Answer 5

Protective lipid material

Question 6

What are the 3 types of tissue that make up the breast?

Answer 6

Glandular, fibrous, & adipose

Question 7

What structure is located within the fibrous tissue of the breast?

Answer 7

Suspensory ligaments

Question 8

What breast tissue contains 15-20 lobes radiating from the nipple, and are composed of lobules?

Answer 8

Glandular tissue

Question 9

Within each lobule of glandular tissue in the breast, there are clusters of what?

Answer 9

Alveoli

Question 10

What is the name for the fibrous connective tissue that extends vertically from the skin surface to attach on chest wall muscles?

Answer 10

Cooper’s ligaments

Question 11

Which lymph nodes receive lymph from the other 3 groups, and are located high up in the middle of the axilla + over the ribs & serratus anterior muscle?

Answer 11

Central axillary nodes

Question 12

From the central axillary nodes, the drainage flows where?

Answer 12

Up to the infraclavicular and supraclavicular nodes

Question 13

What lymph nodes are anterior, along the lateral edge of the pectoralis major, just inside the anterior axillary fold?

Answer 13

Pectoral lymph nodes

Question 14

What lymph nodes are posterior, along the lateral edge of the scapula, deep in the posterior axillary fold?

Answer 14

Subscapular lymph nodes

Question 15

Term used to describe benign breast enlargement in males, that is usually bilateral but can be unilateral?

Answer 15

Gynecomastia

Question 16

Gynecomastia can reappear in aging adult men as a result of what type of deficiency?

Answer 16

Testosterone

Question 17

Gynecomastia may be associated with which of the following:

A. Addisons disease
B. Cushing syndrome
C. Hypothyroidism
D. Liver cirrhosis
E. Hyperthyroidism
F. B, D, and E

Answer 17

B. Cushing syndrome
D. Liver cirrhosis
E. Hyperthyroidism

Question 18

Pain or tenderness of the breast(s) that may be associated with trauma, infection or inflammation:

Answer 18

Mastalgia

Question 19

What type of pain is common with normal breasts, oral contraceptives, and benign (fibrocystic) disease?

Answer 19

Cyclic pain

Question 20

What is the term used to describe the occurrence of clear nipple discharge, that is most often a result of medications?

Answer 20

Galactorrhea

Question 21

What disease starts with a small crust on the nipple apex and spreads to the areola?

Answer 21

Paget disease

Question 22

Why is it important to ask about rashes and abnormal discharge, especially with eczema or other dermatitis?

Answer 22

It usually only starts at the nipple when the patient is breastfeeding

Question 23

Oral contraceptives result in only a small relative increase in the risk for breast cancer.

True
False

Answer 23

True

Question 24

If there is family history of breast cancer, what association is important for the nurse to inquire about?

Answer 24

BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene association

Question 25

Term used to describe when edema is present in the breast(s) causing exaggeration of the hair follicles, resulting in a “pigskin” or “orange-peel” look:

Answer 25

Peau d’orange

Question 26

What is the term used to describe a normal, common variation located along the embryonic “milk line” on the thorax / abdomen? It is also described as a congenital finding.

Answer 26

Supernumerary nipple

Question 27

Male breast cancer is characterized as a fixed area, hard, non-tender, and irregular.

True
False

Answer 27

True

Question 28

What is the significant warning sign of male breast cancer?

Answer 28

Nipple discharge

Question 29

What two clavicular areas does the nurse need to inspect while doing the assessment?

Answer 29

Supraclavicular & infraclavicular

Question 30

What areas should the nurse palpate during the assessment before moving to the breasts?

Answer 30

Axillae and regional lymph nodes

Question 31

Before the assessment is concluded, it is important to educate your patient on what?

Answer 31

Breast self-examination

Question 32

The group of axillary lymph nodes that drains the other three groups of nodes is the:

A. anterior nodes.
B. central nodes.
C. lateral nodes.
D. posterior nodes.

Answer 32

B. central nodes

Question 33

An older woman is having an annual mammogram. Before the mammogram, the nurse does a breast examination. Expected normal findings would include:

A. palpable, firm, stringy lactiferous ducts.
B. increased glandularity.
C. yellow colostrum expressed from the nipple.
D. a unilateral venous pattern.

Answer 33

A. palpable, firm, stringy lactiferous ducts

Question 34

Which of the following questions would be important to include when completing a subjective assessment of the breasts for a female patient to determine whether she would be at increased risk for breast cancer?

A. “Have you taken oral contraceptives?”
B. “Have you ever been taught breast self-
examination?”
C. “Have you ever had a rash on or around your
breasts?”
D. “Have you noticed any enlargement or fullness in the breasts?”

Answer 34

A. “Have you taken oral contraceptives?”

Question 35

An expected postmenopausal breast change is:

A. increased glandular tissue
B. decreased fibrous connective tissue
C. increased fatty tissue
D. decreased breast size

Answer 35

D. decreased breast size

Question 36

The relative proportion of glandular, fibrous, and adipose breast tissue depends on:

A. environmental factors.
B. genetics.
C. sex.
D. nutritional state.

Answer 36

D. nutritional state

Question 37

Which of the following statements is true regarding the internal structures of the breast? The breast is made up of:

A. Primarily muscle with very little fibrous tissue.
B. Fibrous, glandular, and adipose tissues.
C. Primarily milk ducts, known as lactiferous ducts.
D. Glandular tissue, which supports the breast by attaching to the chest wall.

Answer 37

B. Fibrous, glandular, and adipose tissues.

Question 38

In performing a breast examination, the nurse knows that examining the upper outer quadrant of the breast is especially important. The reason for this is that the upper outer quadrant is:

A. The largest quadrant of the breast.
B. The location of most breast tumors.
C. Where most of the suspensory ligaments attach.
D. More prone to injury and calcifications than other locations in the breast.

Answer 38

B. The location of most breast tumors.