ORIGINAL ARTICLE Treatment of tuberousVendraminFranco breast T FS etwith al.et al.combined incisions Treatment of tuberous breast with combined incisions Tratamento de mamas tuberosas com incisões combinadas MANOEL PEREIRA SILVA NETO1 ABSTRACT LUCIANA RODRIGUES DA Background: Tuberous breast deformity is a rare entity, first described by Rees and Aston CUNHA COLOMBO2 in 1976. In this condition, breast development is altered, with herniation of the parenchyma DIEGO DE PAIVA SILVA2 through the nipple-areolar complex, enlargement of this structure, and hypoplasia of the PAULO MAGNO SANTOS breast tissue, especially in the lower quadrants. The breast thus acquires a tubular shape GUIMARÃES3 rather than the natural conical look. Methods: Four patients underwent a single surgical CYNTHIA OTTAIANO treatment, with combined inframammary and periareolar incisions. Technical details must RODRIGUES ALMEIDA4 be individualized for each case depending on the severity and classification type of the tu- ADRIANO PEDUTI BATISTA4 berous breasts. Results: The surgical procedure used covers all aspects of tuberous breast LUIZ HUMBERTO TOYOSO deformity in a single-stage operation. Revision of periareolar surgery scar was not neces- CHAEM1 sary in any case. In all cases, the final aesthetic result was satisfactory for the patient and MARCO TÚLIO RODRIGUES DA the surgeon. The procedure adopted does not interfere with future lactation. Conclusions: CUNHA1 Tuberous breast represents a real therapeutic challenge. The technique reported herein is very attractive and provides reliable and reproducible results. Keywords: Breast/surgery. Mammaplasty. Plastic surgery/methods. RESUMO Introdução: A deformidade tuberosa da mama é uma rara entidade, descrita por Rees e Aston em 1976. O desenvolvimento mamário encontra-se alterado, com herniação do pa- rênquima pelo complexo areolopapilar, alargamento dessa estrutura e hipoplasia do tecido mamário, principalmente nos quadrantes inferiores. A mama, portanto, adquire um aspecto tubular ao invés do aspecto cônico natural. Método: No total, 4 pacientes foram submeti- This study was performed at das a tratamento cirúrgico em um único tempo, com incisões combinadas: inframamária e the Universidade Federal do periareolar. Detalhes técnicos devem ser individualizados para cada caso, conforme a gra- Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. vidade e a classificação do tipo de mama tuberosa. Resultados: O procedimento cirúrgico utilizado aborda todos os aspectos da deformidade da mama tuberosa em operação de um Submitted to SGP (Sistema de Gestão de Publicações/Manager estágio. Cirurgia de revisão de cicatriz periareolar não foi necessária em nenhum caso. Em Publications System) of RBCP todos os casos, obteve-se resultado estético final aceitável e com satisfação da paciente e (Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia do cirurgião. O procedimento adotado não interfere em lactações futuras. Conclusões: A Plástica/Brazilian Journal of mama tuberosa representa um verdadeiro desafio terapêutico. A técnica utilizada é muito Plastic Surgery). atraente e mostra resultados confiáveis e reprodutíveis. Article received: June 15, 2012 Article accepted: August 7, 2012 Descritores: Mama/cirurgia. Mamoplastia. Cirurgia plástica/métodos. 1. Full member of the Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica/ Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP), Supervisor of the Plastic Surgery Service, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, MG, Brazil. 2. Resident Physician of the Plastic Surgery Service, UFTM, Associated Member of the SBCP, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. 3. Resident Physician of the Plastic Surgery Service, UFTM, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. 4. Member of the SBCP, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. Rev Bras Cir Plást. 2012;27(3):421-7 421 Silva Neto MP et al. INTRODUCTION treat­­ment. There are 2 main classifications: one by Grolleau et al.2 and the other by von Heimburg et al.3. Tuberous breast deformity is a rare entity that affects The classification of Grolleau et al.2 describes 3 types of young women either unilaterally or bilaterally. Its exact tuberous breast deformities: in­­­­cidence and prevalence are unknown because of under- • Type I - characterized by hypoplasia of the medial diagnosis and lack of clinical correlation in cases of breast lower quadrant and the most common type, present asymmetry. It was first described by Rees and Aston1 in in 54% of cases; 1976. The deformity was so named for its similarity with the • Type II - both lower quadrants are hypoplastic, tuberous roots of plants. cons­­­tituting 26% of cases; Embryologically, breast development begins from the • Type III - characterized by severe constriction, ectoderm in the fifth week of intrauterine life. Between 10 minimum based breast, and apparent deficiency of weeks and 14 weeks, the mammary buds of the thoracic all quadrants of the breast, constituting the minority region are surrounded by a layer of mesodermal tissue called and present in 20% of cases. the superficial fascia. Both glandular and nipple-areolar The classification by von Heimburg et al.3 further divides growth is complete at puberty, and the superficial fascia is the type II classification of Grolleau et al.2 into 2 types: type the main structure responsible for forming conical breasts. II, with normal subareolar skin; and type III, with deficient The formation of tuberous breasts stems from the lack subareolar skin associated with parenchymal hypoplasia of the upper section of the superficial fascia around the of the medial inferior and lateral quadrants. Therefore, the nip ple-areo­­­lar complex and its thickening with the forma- type I classification of von Heimburg et al.3 is equivalent to tion of a fibrous ring in the periareolar region. As a result, Grolleau et al.2 type I, and the type IV of von Heimburg et mammary development is altered, with pseudo-herniation al.3 is equivalent to Grolleau et al.2 type III. of the parenchyma by the nipple-areolar complex and its Subsequently, an objective definition of tuberous breast enlargement as well as reduction of horizontal and vertical was advocated, using the Northwood index. This index is diameters with constriction of the base of the breast. Hy­­­­­­ based solely on the herniation of breast parenchyma through poplasia of the mammary tissue occurs, especially in the the areola, which is a key point in the development of lower quadrants, with elevation of the inframammary fold tuberous breast. The index is calculated by the relationship (Figure 1). All these changes alter the conformation of the between the extent of parenchymal herniation through the breasts, which acquire a tubular aspect, rather than the areola (the distance from the tip of the nipple to the base natural conical aspect1. of the areola, in centimeters) and areolar diameter (cm). An Moreover, asymmetry of the breasts is very common, index greater than 0.4 defines a tuberous breast, which can with a prevalence of up to 89% in cases of tuberous breasts. be classified with respect to severity into light (0.4 to 0.5), Therefore, this condition should be carefully evaluated to moderate (0.51 to 0.6), or severe (0.61 to 0.7). The advan- optimize the surgical outcome, as it represents a major tech- tage of this classification in relation to those mentioned nical challenge. Some authors state that there is a deficiency above is the objectivity it allows in defining and grading a of skin at the bottom of the breast, with the inframammary tuberous breast4. fold being larger than normal and in a higher position; this In this study, the authors present their experience with represents another technical difficulty in surgical treatment surgical repair of hypoplastic breasts; a single procedure of tuberous breasts. was used to enlarge the breast and correct breast shape and Tuberous breasts can be classified according to the se­­­ size as well as the projection of the nipple-areolar complex. verity of the malformation, which guides the choice of History Several surgical techniques have been suggested to cor­­­ rect deformities of tuberous breasts. In 1976, the surgical treatment of tuberous breasts began with the technique described by Rees and Aston1; this tech- nique employs radiating incisions in the breast parenchyma to release the fibrous ring and fix the shape and positio­­­ning of the breast through a port at the inframammary fold. Ribeiro et al.5-7 described a technique that uses an exclu- A B sive periareolar approach with horizontal incisions in the Figure 1 – A and B, tuberous breasts with hypoplasia of the parenchyma and preparation of the inferior pedicle base, with mammary parenchyma and herniation through the extended resection of the medial and lateral extensions and fixing of nipple-areolar complex in frontal and profile views, respectively. the same in the chest wall, folding the pedicle base on itself. 422 Rev Bras Cir Plást. 2012;27(3):421-7 Treatment of tuberous breast with combined incisions This technique enables correction of the shape of the breasts parenchyma, and the ideal position of the new nipple-areolar by filling the lower hypoplastic quadrants. complex was decided in relation to the sternal notch and its In 2003, Mandrekas et al.8 advocated a similar approach, distance from the midline. The lateral boundary was coin- but with a vertical incision in the parenchyma in a 6 o’clock cident with the anterior axillary line. The medial boundary semi-axis position and its separation into 2 pillars. Since was generally positioned 2 to 3 cm lateral to the midsternal 1983, the use