Hypertrophic breasts versus normal-sized breasts: Comparison of blood supply to the nipple-areola complex based on...

Understanding the blood supply to the nipple-areola complex (NAC) in hypertrophic breasts is essential to reduce the risk of NAC necrosis during reduction mammaplasty. The aim of this study was to use dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to determine the NAC blood supply of hypertrophic breasts compared with normal-sized breasts.

DCE-MRI images of 100 Asian women (100 hypertrophic breasts and 100 normal-sized breasts) were included retrospectively. All vessels supplying the NAC were identified using axial, coronal, and sagittal maximum-intensity projection images. The diameter, length, and distance to the skin surface of source vessels were measured.

The number of source vessels in the hypertrophic breasts was larger than that in the normal-sized breasts. 97.0% of hypertrophic breasts had multizone blood supply to the NAC. In hypertrophic and normal-sized breasts, the proportion of vessels was highest in the supermedial zone, followed by the superolateral zone and central zone. The diameter of medial and lateral vessels was significantly increased in hypertrophic breasts. Besides, the length of source vessels in hypertrophic breasts was larger than that in normal-sized breasts.

Hypertrophic breasts tend to have a richer blood supply to the NAC than normal-sized breasts. The predominant vessels supplying the NAC of hypertrophic breasts are the superomedial, followed by the superolateral and central.

IV.