The Breast Flashcards
What is the main ligament of the breast?
Suspensory ligament of cooper
What does the suspensory ligament of cooper do?
Connects breast tissue to the claivcle
What is the effect of ageing on the suspensory ligament of cooper?
The ligament weakens with age and so the breast sags.
What hormones are involved with breast development in puberty?
Oestrogen
IGF-1
GH
Outline the tanner breast stages.
- Starts with no glandular tissue
- Breast bud forms and alveolar widens
- Breast grows in width and elevates
- Increase in size and glandular system begins to develop.
What hormones influence the breast during pregnancy?
Oestrogen, progesterone and prolactin
How does progesterone affect the breast in pregnancy?
Progesterone causes hyperplasia of the ductal and alveolar cells, but inhibits milk production.
Outline the production and storage of milk in the breast.
Lactocytes secrete milk into alveoli where it is stored.
What lubricates the nipple?
Montgommery glands
Explain the path milk takes exiting the breast.
Alveoli > Interlobular ducts > Lactiferous sinuses > Lactiferous ducts drain milk out of the nipple.
What collect the alveolar milk secretions?
Interlobular ducts
What do montgommery glands do?
Sebaceous glands that lubricate the nipple
When does milk production start?
After birth when oestrogen and progesterone levels that were inhibiting milk production have fallen.
What is the role of prolactin?
Produce and maintain milk in the breast
What is the role of oxytocin in the breast?
Oxytocin stimulates the release of milk from the nipple
Where is oxytocin secreted from?
Posterior pituitary
What is the effect of an infant suckling on a breast.
Intercostal nerves innervating the alveolar send impulses to the hypothalamus.
Hypothalamus send impulses to the posterior pituitary to secrete oxytocin.
What is the lateral arterial supply to the breast?
Axillary artery
What is the medial arterial supply to the breast?
Internal thoracic artery
What are the two hormones that control lactation?
Oxytocin
Prolactin
What are the three arteries that supply the breast?
Axillary artery
Internal thoracic artery
Intercostal arteries
What are the three main veins that drain the breast?
Axillary vein
Internal thoracic vein
Intercostal vein
Where do the veins of the breast drain into?
Internal jugular vein and then into the superior vena cava.
What innervates the breast?
Thoracic intercostal nerves
What is the lymphatic drainage of the breast?
Axillary lymph nodes receive 75%
Thoracic internal lymph nodes receive 25%
What are the two types of lymphatics of the breast?
- Superficial lymphatics
1. Deep lymphatics
What do superficial lymphatics drain?
Drain the skin over the breast, excluding areola and papilla.
What do deep lymphatics drain?
Parenchyma of the breast, and the papilla and areola
What is parenchyma?
Cellular tissue
What drains the papilla and areola?
Deep lymphatics
What drains the skin of the breast?
Superficial lymphatics
Where is oxytocin produced?
HYpothalamus
