Anatomi mammae

The breasts of an adult woman are milk-producing, tear-shaped glands. They are
supported by and attached to the front of the chest wall on either side of the breast bone
or sternum by ligaments. They rest on the major chest muscle, the pectoralis major.
The breast has no muscle tissue. A layer of fat surrounds the glands and extends
throughout the breast.
The breast is responsive to a complex interplay of hormones that cause the tissue to
develop, enlarge and produce milk. The three major hormones affecting the breast are
estrogen, progesterone and prolactin, which cause glandular tissue in the breast and the
uterus to change during the menstrual cycle.
Each breast contains ! to "# lobes arranged in a circular fashion. The fat $subcutaneous
adipose tissue% that covers the lobes gives the breast its si&e and shape. Each lobe is
comprised of many lobules, at the end of which are tiny bulb like glands, or sacs, where
milk is produced in response to hormonal signals.
'ucts connect the lobes, lobules, and glands in nursing mothers. These ducts deliver milk
to openings in the nipple. The areola is the darker-pigmented area around the nipple.
(ore information about breast anatomy is provided in the following two graphic figures)
*igure ) +uadrants of the ,reast
*igure ") -egional .ymph /odes of the ,reast
Figure 2: Quadrants of the Breast
/ote) 0!#.1 is the code for axillary tail or tail of breast.
,lood and lymph vessels form a network throughout each breast. ,reast tissue is drained
by lymphatic vessels that lead to axillary nodes $which
lie in the axilla% and internal mammary nodes $which lie along each side of the breast
bone%. 2hen breast cancer spreads, it is fre3uently to these nodes.
". Axillary lymphatic plexus 4. ,rachial axillary lymph nodes
5. 0ubital lymph nodes 6
7. 8nterpectoral axillary lymph nodes $-otter
nodes%
!. 9uperficial axillary $low axillary% #. :aramammary or intramammary lymph nodes
1. 'eep axillary lymph nodes
. :arasternal lymph nodes $internal mammary
nodes%
6 /ote) the cubital lymph nodes are not part of the lymph node drainage of the breast.
9entinel nodes ; 0lick here.
Image - Breast Anatomy
(http://www.breastcancer.org/pictures/breast_anatom
y/image_1.jsp)
Breast profile:
A ducts
B lobules
C dilated section of duct to hold milk
D nipple
E fat
F pectoralis major muscle
G chest wall<rib cage
Enlargement:
A normal duct cells
B basement membrane
C lumen $center of duct%
*ind out where and how different cancer types affect the breast.
Image - Axiary !ymph "o#es
.ymph node areas adjacent to breast area.
A pectoralis major muscle
B axillary lymph nodes) levels 8
C axillary lymph nodes) levels 88
D axillary lymph nodes) levels 888
E supraclavicular lymph nodes
F internal mammary lymph nodes
-ead more about axillary lymph nodes and their role in diagnosing and treating breast
cancer.
Breast Anatomy and Physiology Format for Printing
It is important for women to become familiar with the normal anatomy and physiology (function) of
their breasts so that they can recognize early signs of possible abnormalities. This section
outlines basic information on breast composition, development, and typical changes from puberty
to pregnancy to menopause.
$ain $enu:
Breast Composition
Initial Breast evelopment
Breast !ize, "ppearance, and Changes #ver Time
Breast Changes uring $regnancy
Breast Changes "fter %enopause
"dditional &esources and &eferences
Breast %omposition
The breast is a mass of glandular, fatty, and fibrous tissues positioned over the pectoral muscles
of the chest wall and attached to the chest wall by fibrous strands called Cooper's ligaments. "
layer of fatty tissue surrounds the breast glands and e(tends throughout the breast. The fatty
tissue gives the breast a soft consistency.
Image courtesy of NCI/NIH
The glandular tissues of the breast house the lobules (mil) producing glands at the ends of the
lobes) and the ducts (mil) passages). Toward the nipple, each duct widens to form a sac
(ampulla). uring lactation, the bulbs on the ends of the lobules produce mil). #nce mil) is
produced, it is transferred through the ducts to the nipple.
The breast is composed of*
mil) glands (lobules) that produce mil)
ducts that transport mil) from the mil) glands (lobules) to the nipple
nipple
areola (pin) or brown pigmented region surrounding the nipple)
connective (fibrous) tissue that surrounds the lobules and ducts
fat
"rteries carry o(ygen rich blood from the heart to the chest wall and the breasts and veins ta)e
de+o(ygenated blood bac) to the heart. The a(illary artery e(tends from the armpit and supplies
the outer half of the breast with blood, the internal mammary artery e(tends down from nec) and
supplies the inner portion of the breast.
Initia Breast &e'eopment
-uman breast tissue begins to develop in the si(th wee) of fetal life. Breast tissue initially
develops along the lines of the armpits and e(tends to the groin (this is called the mil) ridge). By
the ninth wee) of fetal life, it regresses (goes bac)) to the chest area, leaving two breast buds on
the upper half of the chest. In females, columns of cells grow inward from each breast bud,
becoming separate sweat glands with ducts leading to the nipple. Both male and female infants
have very small breasts and actually e(perience some nipple discharge during the first few days
after birth.
.emale breasts do not begin growing until puberty/the period in life when the body undergoes a
variety of changes to prepare for reproduction. $uberty usually begins for women around age 01
or 00. "fter pubic hair begins to grow, the breasts will begin responding to hormonal changes in
the body. !pecifically, the production of two hormones, estrogen and progesterone, signal the
development of the glandular breast tissue. This initial growth of the breast may be somewhat
painful for some girls. uring this time, fat and fibrous breast tissue becomes more elastic. The
breast ducts begin to grow and this growth continues until menstruation begins (typically one to
two years after breast development has begun). %enstruation prepares the breasts and ovaries
for potential pregnancy.
Be(ore puberty )ary puberty !ate puberty
the breast is flat e(cept
for the nipple that stic)s
out from the chest
the areola becomes a
prominent bud, breasts
begin to fill out
glandular tissue and fat
increase in the breast, and
areola becomes flat
Basic breast
anatomy(http://www.007b.com/breast_anatomy.php)
The function of breasts is to produce milk for the baby. Each breast has milk producing
glands $also called lobules or alveoli% that make milk from the nutrients and water they
take from the bloodstream.
9econdly, there are milk ducts that carry the
milk to the nipple from the milk glands. The
system of milk glands and ducts resembles
several bunches of grapes) the glands are the
grapes, the ducts are the stems. .ike grapes
come in bunches, the milk glands and ducts also
*he (emae breast.
are organi&ed into several clusters that are called
lobes. The breast actually has !-"# of these
lobes or grape bunches in it. *rom outside, the
lobes feel like little nodes or lumps especially
before menstruation.
The space in between the lobes is filled with connective and fatty tissue. *at also
surrounds the whole system of milk ducts and glands. =sually the breasts of young
women are mainly glandular tissue and that is why their breasts are firmer. The softer the
breasts are, the more fat they contain.
/ote that the breast does not have any muscles $except for tiny ones in the nipples%, so no
amount of exercise will change their appearance. The breast is supported by semi-elastic
bands of tissue called 0ooper>s ligaments. These ligaments $along with the skin% stretch
over time when the gravity pulls the breast down, and that is why the breast will start
drooping or sagging.
The breast si&e and shape in different women varies a lot. 9ome women have more
glandular tissue in their breasts, some have less. 9ome have more fatty tissue than others.
9ome have more connective tissue so their breasts are firmer, and yet some women are
totally flat-chested. The si&e and shape also varies over time in the same woman because
of the changes during menstrual cycle, pregnancy, after weaning, and during menopause.
(ost of the si&e differences between women are due to the amount of fatty tissue in the
breast. ,ut practically all breasts can make milk and help nurture the baby - and that is
what makes breasts beautiful?
The rare exception to this is the so-called hypoplastic or underdeveloped breast that does
not have much glandular tissue $or milk-making glands%. @ypoplastic breasts often are
small, elongated or tubular shaped, narrow at the chest wall with wide space in between,
and often have big areola.AnbpsB 2omen with these tubular under-developed breasts may
have low milk supply, but many of them can with the proper measures develop full
supply and breastfeed succesfully.
(C9T women>s breasts are not totally symmetrical $don>t judge by the models and
actresses in the media since they have had theirs fixed, pushed up, padded and everything
else%. =sually, one breast is slightly larger or smaller, higher or lower, or shaped
differently than the other. 8t is kind of a similar situation to men>s testes) usually the left
one hangs lower than the other.
The darker part surrounding the nipple is called the areola. Areolas usually grow in si&e
and get darker during pregnancy - as if making it easier for the baby to spot the place of
nourishment. The little >bumps> on the areola are called (ontgomery glands, and they
produce oil that lubricates the nipple<areola complex.
The nipple has several tiny openings in it through which the milk flows during lactation.
/ipples can sometimes be flat, with a >line> through them, or inverted, where the nipple is
indented inward. /either situation is serious or dangerous since the baby can usually pull
the nipple out. ,y the way, a teenager nipple does not necessarily protrude but it is only
truly flat nipple if it does /CT get erect when stimulated or when cold.
/ipples also come in all different kinds of looks. 9ome women>s nipples are constantly
erect whereas some have nipples that only become erect when stimulated by cold or
touch. 8t is common to have some hair on the breast. The nipple can be flat, round, or
cylindrical in shape. The areola can be a very narrow ring, or may cover half of a small
breast. The color varies from pink to black. Even so, these characteristics don>t affect the
breastfeeding process - with the exception that sometimes women with flat or inverted
nipples have to use special measures to get the baby to feed. Dou can see pictures of
nipples on our nipple gallery page, as well as links to web pages about flat<inverted
nipples.
This medical illustration depicts a torso of a female figure showing normal breast
anatomy. The pectoralis muscle, serratus muscle, and external obli3ue muscle, thoracic
lymph nodes, $axillary lymph nodes, parasternal lymph nodes, subclavian lymphatic
trunk, bronchomediastinal trunk%, adipose glandular tissue and nipple are all included.
Anatomy of the breast. 'ucts carry
milk from the lobules to the nipple. The lobules and ducts are surrounded by fatty tissue
and ligaments called stroma.
This medical illustration shows the network of lymph vessels and nodes located in the
female axilla and breast region. 8t also demonstrates the mammary lobes and lactiferous
ducts.
This stock medical exhibit features four views of the breast to describe the
:rogression of ,reast 0ancer. The following views are illustrated) - /ormal anatomy of
the breast "- Early stage breast cancer with appearance of a small tumor mass. E- .ate
stage breast cancer with growth and spread of the tumor mass. 5- *inal image illustrating
the spread of cancer through the lymph nodes.
emedicine
Breast Care
Anatomy Of The Breast
The breast onsists of a mi!ture of:
*at
(ilk glands - lobules that secrete milk during pregnancy
and breastfeeding
(ammary ducts F canals that carry milk from the lobules
to the nipple openings
*ibrous connective tissue
/erves
,lood vessels
.ymph vessels F delicate vessels that collect lymph fluid from tissues and drain it
back into the bloodstream
9mall amounts of muscle tissue
o 8n the nipple to allow it to become erect in response to sexual stimulation
or breastfeeding
o Around the lobules to help s3uee&e milk into the ducts.
o Gey muscles support the breasts rom behind and underneath.
,reast si&e and shape is uni3ue to each woman and is determined by
heredity and body si&e. @owever, breast tissue changes throughout a
womanHs lifetime depending on hormonal changes.
,reasts develop at puberty as hormones stimulate the system
to form and enlarge lobules and ducts. *ull development can
occur any time between the ages of " and I.
A womanHs monthly menstrual cycle causes breast
granularity to change. 9welling and tenderness of both
breasts may occur during the second half of the menstrual
cycle. 0ysts may grow and then shrink.
'uring pregnancy, the lobules multiply and begin to produce
milk.
2hen a baby is born, milk is released into the ducts for breastfeeding $lactation%.
'uring menopause the number of lobules decreases and those remaining shrink. A
larger proportion of the breast is made up of fat so breast density decreases.