Breast Anatomy - Revised Anatomy

Revised Anatomy

Recent anatomical research involving imaging the lactating breast using ultrasound technology have challenged a number of commonly accepted conclusions.

These findings on anatomy of the breast have important implications for the way the breast is cared for, especially during surgery.

The major differences between Cooper-derived models and Ramsay's work are:

1. Milk ducts branch closer to the nipple
2. Lactiferous sinuses do not, in fact, exist. They are an artifact of the wax injection process.
3. Glandular tissue is found closer to the nipple.
4. Subcutaneous fat is minimal at the base of the nipple.
5. The external shape or size of the breast is not predictive of its internal anatomy nor of its lactation potential.
6. The ratio of glandular to fat tissue rises to 2:1 in the lactating breast, compared to a 1:1 ratio in nonlactating women.
7. 65% of the glandular tissue is located within 30 mm from the base of the nipple.
8. Between 4 and 18 milk ducts exit the nipple (anatomy textbooks talk of between 15 and 20 lobes and milk ducts per breast).
9. The network of milk ducts is complex, not homogeneous. It is not always arranged symmetrically, nor in a radial pattern.
10. The milk ducts near the nipple do not act as reservoirs for milk.