Module 6 Female Reproductive and Mammary Flashcards
Action: Milk Production
Released from: Anterior Pituitary
Prolactin
Action: Milk ejection
Released from: Posterior pituitary
Oxytocin
Primary function of the breast is to provide milk to the newborn through the process of __, which is also known as milk production, is under the hormonal influence of PROLACTIN
LACTATION
During pregnancy, elevated levels of prolactin, estrogen, and progesterone all contributes to the development of the breast. However, during lactation, after parturition, there will be a sudden decrease in progesterone and estrogen leading to a marked level of __ which results to lactate change in production.
prolactin
separates the breast
Intermammary cleft
- Broadest and deepest part
- Despite varying sizes and shapes of the breast, base remains roughly the same among all individuals
- Between 2nd and 6th ribs
- Edge of the sternum to midaxillary line
BASE OF THE BREAST
Base of the Breast is in contact with deep fascia over
- Pectoralis major
- Serratus anterior
- External oblique
- Rectus abdominis
Breast Quadrants: Frequency distribution of different carcinomas of the breast
- Upper outer - 60% (where most cancer occur)
- Upper inner – 15%
- Lower outer – 15%
- Lower inner – 5%
o Also known as Tail of Spence
o Extension into the axilla
o May be visible as definite mass
AXILLARY TAIL
- Loose connective tissue plane between breast and deep pectoral fascia
- Allows the breast some degree of movement
- It is a potential space that allows some degree of movement
- It is independent from the deep fascia and the underlying muscles
RETROMAMMARY SPACE
- Tumor invasion of retromammary space
- Tumor adherence of breast base to deep fascia
- “Fixing” of the breast to Pectoralis major
“Fixed” Breast in Breast Carcinoma
- Also known as mammary papilla
- Round, raised area of modified skin with slightly convoluted epidermis
- Numerous sensory nerve endings
- Increased pigmentation during pregnancy
- At the tip: 15-20 openings of the lactiferous ducts arranged in a ring
NIPPLE
Lining epithelium of the Nipple
Stratified squamous keratinizing epithelium
Lactiferous ducts/sinus
Stratified cuboidal epithelium
Near the tip of the nipple (Lining epithelium)
Stratified squamous
Opening of the lactiferous ducts
Stratified squamous keratinizing
- Benign; usually bilateral, mostly umbilicated
- Failure of underlying mesenchymal tissue to proliferate and project the nipple outward
Congenital Nipple Inversion
Nipple inversion ≠ Nipple retraction
Inversion – entire nipple is pulled in
Retraction – only a part is drawn in
Umbilicated vs. invaginated nipples
Umbilicated – can be pulled out
Invaginated –cannot be extracted
- Hyperpigmented oval area of skin surrounding the nipple
- Thin skin with sebaceous glands
- Epidermis is continuous with lactiferous sinuses lining
- Sensory never endings: areola
AREOLA
- Areolar glands = Montgomery’s glands
- Modified sebaceous glands (oily secretion)
- Secretion lubricates and protects the areola and nipple: changes skin’s pH and discourages microbial growth
MONTGOMERY’S TUBERCLES
- May be associated with underlying breast carcinoma
- Eczematous skin changes in nipple and areola: erythema, scaling, burning, pruritus (itching) bleeding, ulceration, serosanguineous discharge
- Nipple: thickened, deformed and inverted
Paget’s Disease of the Breast
Blood Supply of the Breast
Branches of axillary and internal thoracic arteries
LYMPHATICS OF THE BREAST
- Axillary lymph nodes (75%)
- Parasternal nodes (where the medial quadrants also drain
- “Orange peel”
- Subcutaneous lymphatic obstruction
- Lymphatic dilatation and accumulation
- Skin edema and prominence of skin gland orifices
Peau d’orange in Breast Carcinoma
MAMMARY GLANDS
modified compound tubuloalveolar apocrine sweat glands
- each mammary gland consists 15-20 lobes
- Lobes are separated by dense CT septae
- These septae radiates from the nipple areolar complex like spoke fascia wheels
MAMMARY GLANDS
PARENCHYMA VS STROMA
Parenchyma – cells that serve the main function of the tissue/organ
Stroma – cells that support/provide structural scaffolding
- Also known as Ligament of Cooper
- Fibrous tissue septa extending from the deep fascia to the skin
- More prominent in the superior portion of the breast and they maintain the breast form and upright posture
- They are less effective when the patient lies at her back
SUSPENSORY LIGAMENTS
- Involvement of suspensory ligaments results in skin dimpling
Skin Dimpling in Breast Carcinoma
(Mammary Gland: Lobe)
Each lobe consists of:
Duct system = lactiferous ducts/sinus
Lobules = terminal duct lobular units (TDLU)
– cancer that arise from the cells of the ductal system
Ductal Carcinoma
– cancer that arise from the cells of the lobules
Lobular Carcinoma
- Involvement of ducts
- Nipple retraction is caused by the invasion of cancer cells in the mammary ducts
Nipple Retraction in Breast Carcinoma
- Functional unit of the breast
- Lobule epithelium is hormone sensitive and undergoes proliferation during pregnancy
- Lobes represent the parenchyma
TERMINAL DUCT LOBULAR UNIT (TDLU)
2 CELLS OF MAMMARY EPITHELIUM
- Glandular Epithelial Cells
2. Myoepithelial Cells
o Inner layer
o Low columnar-cuboidal epithelium
Glandular Epithelial Cells
o Outer layer o Clear cytoplasm o Contact basement membrane o Have epithelial cell and smooth muscle cell features o Contractile
Myoepithelial Cells
Stem cell function (Myoepithelium and Glandular Cells
a. Bipotent stem cells = mammary repopulating units (MRUs)
- Can give rise to two types of cell, myoepithelial cells or glandular cells
b. Unipotent stem cells – give rise to myoepithelial cells only
- Estrogen Receptor/Progesterone Receptor Positivity
- Tested on tissues removed by biopsy or surgery
- If a patient is ER/PR positive an option would be to undergo hormonal therapy
- Hormone-sensitive breast cancers may respond to hormonal agents like tamoxifen, anastrozole, exemestane
ER/PR Positivity
Adult Mammary Gland States
- Resting
- Active
- Lactating
- Atrophic/Postmenopausal
- Adult nonpregnant female
- Small ducts
- Few Lobules: undeveloped alveoli
- Abundant CT and adipose (which form the parts of the stroma)
RESTING/INACTIVE
Resting Mammary Gland: Changes During Menstrual Cycle
- Glandular epithelium in terminal ducts proliferate, enlarge, show early secretory activity
- Accumulation of fluid and GAGs in stroma → slight enlargement and discomfort
- Adult pregnant female
- Prominent vascular network
- Spider angioma
- Development of Montgomery’s tubercles
- Increased pigmentation
Active Mammary Gland
- Adult pregnant female
- Growth and proliferation of duct system
- Larger, more branched secretory units of each lobule
- Decreased adipose, connective but more collagen
- More cuboidal in nature
Active Mammary Gland
- Vacuolaction of glandular epithelial cells: lipid-rich secretion
- Stroma infiltration by lymphocytes and plasma cells
Active Mammary Gland
- adult lactating female
- Very large lumina of ducts and alveoli: filled with milk
- Fewer adipocytes, connective tissue, ducts are larger, each lumina is filled with milk, increased vacuolations, and more Montgomery’s tubercles
- More columnar in nature
Lactating Mammary Gland
Remember the trend in comparing the three mammary states:
- lobules become bigger and more developed as you go from resting to lactating
- stroma becomes lesser/ smaller
- Postmenopausal female
- Ducts regress (fewer but larger) – some transform into cysts
- Alveoli shrink, atrophy, resorbed
- Decreased CT and adipose tissue
- Parenchyma also shrink and regress (it appears to be very small
Atrophic Mammary Gland
Breast vs Prostate
BREAST
- lumen is filled with milk
- simple low columnar-cuboidal
PROSTATE
- lumen is filled with substances called Prostatic Concretion or Corpora Amylacea (present only in older males)
- lining is pseudostratified columnar
- Protein: casein, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, lactoferrin - 1 g/dL
- Protein is synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and transported by the golgi bodies outside through merocrine secretion
Merocrine secretion
- Lipid portion of the breast milk is through this secretion
- Lipid droplets coalesce with each other and will eventually tear up/get a portion of the cytoplasm.
- Lipid - 4-5 g/dL
Apocrine secretion
– 7 g/dL ( help draw water osmotically into protein secretory vesicles adding volume to the milk)
Lactose
- Secretion released first few days after birth
- Higher protein, vitamin A, sodium and chloride
- Lower lipid, carbohydrate, potassium
- Antibodies (secretory IgA)
Colostrum
Embryology (Breast)
Parenchyma: surface ectoderm
Stroma: dermal mesenchyme
6 weeks AOG: mammary (milk) lines = mammary line placode
Embryology (Breast) 2
- Mammary bud penetrates the mesenchyme.
- 15-20 solid mammary cords develop → later canalized; lactiferous ducts
- Mesenchyme gives rise to stroma
- Childhood mammary gland structure is rudimentary
- Pronounced enlargement of the male breast
- Estrogen
- Endogenous: occurs at puberty
- Exogenous: caused by drugs (ex. Spironolactone, alcohol, cimetide)
- Klinefelter’s syndrome (47, XXY)
Gynecomastia
- no breast development (absent breast and nipple)
Amastia
- no nipple over breast (mainly accessory breast)
Athelia
- nipple developed, no breast development
Amazia
- accessory breast along milk ridge
Polymastia
- supernumerary nipples
Polythelia
- consists of the paired ovaries and oviducts (or uterine tubes), the uterus, the vagina, and the external genitalia
- system produces the female gametes ( oocytes ), provides the environment for fertilization, and holds the embryo during its complete development through the fetal stage until birth
female reproductive system
- are almond-shaped bodies approximately 3 cm long,
1. 5 cm wide, and 1 cm thick. - Each is covered by a simple cuboidal epithelium, the surface (or germinal) epithelium, continuous with the mesothelium and overlying a layer of dense connective tissue capsule, the tunica albuginea, like that of the testis.
Ovaries
- Glandular, exocrine because it has glands,
cytogenic because the product is a cell which is the
oocyte, and endocrine in function because it produces
estrogen and progesterone.
Ovaries
2 Layers of the Ovaries
- Ovarian Cortex
2. Ovarian Medulla
- a region with a stroma of highly cellular connective tissue
and many ovarian follicles varying greatly in size after menarche
Ovarian Cortex
– main characteristic or structures found in the cortex.
– It is composed of oocyte and follicular cells
ovarian follicles
- is basically the primary oocyte; can be called as ovum or
egg cell. these cells are arrested in meiosis
oocyte
– flattened support cells that surrounds the primary oocyte
follicular cells
– composed of smooth muscle, collagen fibers, elastic fibers, lymphocyte, and fibroblast. The stroma of the ovarian cortex is denser than that of the medulla which is more or less composed of smooth muscle.
stroma
– innermost; continuous with the indentation in the middle called the hilum.
Ovarian Medulla
(Ovary)
– this is where the lymphatic vessels, blood vessels, and nerves exits and enters the ovary. It contains losse connective tissue and blood vessels
Hilum