Breast

The mammary gland , mamma, or glandula mammaria, paired, is located on the surface of the large pectoral and partly anterior dentate muscle in the space between the peritometric and anterior axillary lines, at the level of III to VI, sometimes VII of the rib.

The mammary gland is surrounded by fat tissue, which determines its shape. In addition, due to age, functional condition (pregnancy, feeding), its size and shape vary considerably.

Between the right and left mammary glands a depression is formed. In the middle parts of the mammary gland, at the V-rib level and somewhat outside the midsection (line), linea medioclavicularis (mamillaris), there is a nipple circle of the breast, areola mammae, in the center of which is the nipple of the breast, papilla mammaria. Both the nipple circle and the nipple are pigmented.

In the mammary gland, the body, fatty and fibrous tissues are isolated.

The body of the breast, corpus mammae, consists of 15-20 separately located lobes, lobi glandulae mammariae, surrounded by fat tissue. In its structure it is a complex alveolar gland.

Each part consists of individual lobules of the breast, lobuli glandulae mammariae, opening into the lacteal duct, ductus lactiferus, which goes to the nipple and before it enters into it forms a fusiform extension - the milky sinus, sinus lactiferua.

The terminal narrowed part of the duct perforates the nipple and opens at its apex with a funnel-shaped dilated milk lobe. The number of milky holes is less than the number of lobes - from 8 to 15, since some of the ducts merge. Each part of the breast and its body are surrounded by fat tissue, which gives the gland a hemispherical shape. From the front surface of the gland to the skin are directed connective tissue processes. The posterior surface of the gland is smooth and separated from the superficial fascia by the thoracic ligaments supporting the mammary gland, ligg. Suspensoria mammaria. They are separate fibrous fascicles that start from the collarbone and thoracic fascia and are weaved into the fatty and connective tissue of the mammary gland. Through the ligaments of iron fixed (suspended) to the collarbone.

On the sucking mug of the breast, under the skin, there are tubercles up to 15, rudimentary mammary glands - glands of the nipple mug, glandulae areolares opening outward through the ducts. There is a small number of sweat and large sebaceous glands in the region of the parotid mug.

The mammary gland, mamma masculina, is rudimentary. It consists of a small amount of connective tissue with a small number of glands, devoid of ducts.

In women and men, sometimes additional mammary glands (female and male), mammae accessoriae (femininae et masculinae), which are located above and below the normal mammary gland, are sometimes found.

Innervation: nn. Intercostales ThII - ThVI, nn. Supraclaviculares of plexus cervicalis (sensory innervation of the gland and skin), sympathetic nerves penetrate into the gland together with the vessels.

Blood supply: rr. Mammarii (from aa., Intercostales posteriores III-VII), rr. Mammarii from rr. Perphorantes III-V (a thoracica interna), rr. Mammarii laierales from a. Thoracica lateralis (a. Axillaris). Venous blood flows down the deep veins that accompany the arteries, and superficial, lying subcutaneously and forming a wide-plexus plexus. Lymphatic vessels divert lymph to nodi lymphatici axillares, cervicales laterales profundi, parasternales, mediastinales anteriores.