Breast plastic surgery: what a surgeon needs to know about the mammary gland

Mammary gland

The female mammary gland is actually a modified sweat gland. It is located between the skin and the chest wall and consists of two types of tissue: glandular and connective. Connective tissue creates the so-called framework, and glandular tissue is located in this connective tissue skeleton. The main natural task of the mammary gland is lactation, that is, the production of milk to feed the baby. 
The mammary gland "layer by layer" looks like this: skin, subcutaneous tissue, iron tissue. Under it are the muscles of the chest, to which it is attached by special connective tissue fibers.

Examination methods

The main methods of breast examination are mammography and ultrasound. In order to objectify the results, the BIRADS system was introduced, which contains a description of specific signs that are detected during the examination of the mammary glands. There is a gradation in the system: 1st, 2nd, 3rd levels according to BIRADS – benign diseases; 4th level – a suspicious disease that requires a biopsy; 5th level - unequivocal signs of cancer. This is how a proper examination should be built.

With an external clinical examination and even with an X-ray examination, it is not always possible to accurately determine how the disease will develop.

Thus, it is important to follow three simple principles, such as:

• qualified assessment according to the BIRADS system, if it is about imaging studies (ultrasound, mammography, MRI);
• conducting a biopsy with histological confirmation of the diagnosis, if there are doubts about the nature of the finding;
• the right choice of treatment or observation.

Full version of the access article in Ukrainian

This article is part of the Plastic Surgery and Cosmetology special project

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