Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Breast Cancer Management for Surgeons pp 3–10Cite as

Gross Anatomy of the Breast and Axilla

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

The breast consists of four quadrants, the central substance and the axillary tail. The gland consists of 15–20 lobes. The superficial fascia of the breast and the suspensory ligaments of Cooper are the main suspensory structures. It receives its blood supply from the second to fourth internal mammary artery perforators, lateral thoracic and thoracoacromial arteries and the second to sixth intercostal artery perforators. The dominant sensory innervation of the nipple-areola complex is provided by the lateral cutaneous branches of the fourth intercostal nerve. Primary lymphatic drainage of the breast drains the lymph towards the axilla by lateral efferents. It is responsible for 75% of the total drainage.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  1. Westreich M. Anthropomorphic breast measurement: protocol and results in 50 women with aesthetically perfect breasts and clinical application. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1997;100(2):468–79.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Love SM, Barsky SH. Anatomy of the nipple and breast ducts revisited. Cancer. 2004;101(9):1947–57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Williams PL, Warwick R, Dyson M, Bannister LH, editors. Gray’s anatomy. 37th ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ramsay DT, Kent JC, Hartmann RA, Hartmann PE. Anatomy of the lactating human breast redefined with ultrasound imaging. J Anat. 2005;206(6):525–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Lockwood TE. Superficial fascial system (SFS) of the trunk and extremities: a new concept. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1991;87(6):1009–18.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Scarpa A. Sull' ernie: memorie anatomico-chirurgiche. 2nd ed. Milano: d. reale Stamperia; 1820.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Romrell LJ, Bland KI. Anatomy of the breast, axilla, chest wall, and related metastatic sites. In: Bland KI, Copeland EM, editors. The breast comprehensive management of benign and malignant disease. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company; 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Cooper AP. On the anatomy of the breast. London: Longman, Orme, Green, Brown and Longmans; 1840.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bayati S, Seckel BR. Inframammary crease ligament. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1995;95(3):501–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Würinger E, Mader N, Posch E, Holle J. Nerve and vessel supplying ligamentous suspension of the mammary gland. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1998;101(6):1486–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. van Deventer PV. The blood supply to the nipple–areola complex of the human mammary gland. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2004;27:393–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Michelle le Roux C, Kiil BJ, Pan WR, Rozen WM, Ashton MW. Preserving the neurovascular supply in the Hall-Findlay superomedial pedicle breast reduction: an anatomical study. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2010;63(4):655–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Schlenz I, Kuzbari R, Gruber H, Holle J. The sensitivity of the nipple-areola complex: an anatomic study. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2000;105(3):905–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Tanis PJ, Nieweg OE, Valdés Olmos RA, Kroon BB. Anatomy and physiology of lymphatic drainage of the breast from the perspective of sentinel node biopsy. J Am Coll Surg. 2001;192(3):399–409.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Turner-Warwick RT. The lymphatics of the breast. Br J Surg. 1959;46:574–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Berg JW. The significance of axillary node levels in the study of breast carcinoma. Cancer. 1955;8(4):776–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Perre CI, Hoefnagel CA, Kroon BB, Zoetmulder FA, Rutgers EJ. Altered lymphatic drainage after lymphadenectomy or radiotherapy of the axilla in patients with breast cancer. Br J Surg. 1996;83(9):1258.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Grossman F. Ueber die axillaren Lymphdrusen. Berlin: C. Vogts Buchdruckerei (E. Ebering). Inaug. Dissert. Berlin; 1896.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Gerota D. Zur technik der Lymphgefassinjection. Eine neue Injectionmasse fur Lymphgefasse. Polychrom Injection. Anat Anz. 1896;12:216.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, József krt. 30-32., 2.em, 5/a, Budapest, Hungary

    Peter Palhazi MD

Authors
  1. Peter Palhazi MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Palhazi MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Medical School Department of Oncology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    Lynda Wyld

  2. Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece

    Christos Markopoulos

  3. Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    Marjut Leidenius

  4. Department of Oncology & Radiotherapy, Gdańsk Medical University Department of Oncology & Radiotherapy, Gdańsk, Poland

    Elżbieta Senkus-Konefka

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Palhazi, P. (2018). Gross Anatomy of the Breast and Axilla. In: Wyld, L., Markopoulos, C., Leidenius, M., Senkus-Konefka, E. (eds) Breast Cancer Management for Surgeons. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56673-3_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56673-3_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56671-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56673-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation