An original method of analysis of the breast contour curve with 3-dimensional imaging: Case series

Postoperative assessment of breast reconstruction results has become increasingly important. In this paper, a unique analysis method with 3-dimensional surface images of patients who were treated with immediate breast reconstruction is presented.

Five Japanese women were suspected of having breast cancer and visited our hospital for treatment.

Breast cancer was diagnosed by biopsy, mammography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Five patients underwent nipple/skin-sparing mastectomy, concomitant sentinel lymph node biopsy, and immediate breast reconstruction in our hospital. Three cases were reconstructed by extended latissimus dorsi flaps, one was reconstructed by a pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap, and one was reconstructed by a deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap. Three-dimensional photographs were taken 1 year postoperatively. The similarity of the breast contours between the reconstructed breast and the nonaffected opposite breast obtained from 3-dimensional images was analyzed. The calculated value is called the breast contour score.

No recurrence was observed during the follow-up period in any cases. All cases could be analyzed by breast contour score to evaluate the breast shapes.

The scores become a relative value that ranges from 0 (completely different) to 100 (completely the same). By expressing the score as a relative value, the breast contour score could help us understand the degree of breast symmetry more intuitively.