OB/GYN/GU Flashcards
(36 cards)
What is the anatomical location of the breast? What structures does it overlie?
Superior to the chest wall overlying the fascia covering the pectoralis major and minor.

What is the function of the female breast?
To produce and secrete milk
How many lobes are found in the breast?
15-25 lobes
Lobes connect to the nipple via what?
Lobes open into the nipple via lactiferous ducts.
What divides the lobes into lobules?
Interlobar connective tissue
What does the green arrow point at?

Terminal duct

What does the blue arrow point to?

Interlobar connective tissue

What do the red arrows point to?

Lobules

This image is an example of what anatomical structure in the breast?

The Terminal Duct - Lobular Unit

Are breast hormonally responsive?
Yes
During pregnancy what changes occur in the breast?
Proliferation and enlargement of epithelial cells (breast lobule hyperplasia) –> bigger breasts to aid in milk secretion during lactation.
What change occurs in the breast following menopause?
Atrophic changes.
Puereral = ?
Puerperal = lactational
What are the two types of mastitis?
Puerperal (lactational) and non-puerperal (non-lactational)
What are signs and symptoms of mastitis?
Breast tenderness, redness, induration, occasionally abscess formation (which can feel like a mass).
What is mastitis?
Breast inflammation
What are some causes of Non Puerperal Mastitis?
(1) Duct ectasia
(2) Fat necrosis
(3) Granulomatous mastitis
(4) Inflammatory carcinoma
! May present as a breast mass (despite not being cancer)
What are the differences between these two images?

Left is breast tissued during pregnancy –> larger lobules + ducts
Right is normal (unstimulated) breast tissue –> lobules and ducts much smaller

What is lactational mastitis?
Occurs when there is a blockage of the lactiferous duct and there is leakage of milk into the surrounding tissue.
The cytokines in the milk may induce an inflammatory response (theory).
What percentage of women who are breast feeding get lactational mastitis?
5-33%
How many women who have lactational mastitis also form an abscess?
0.5%
What are the common pathogens that cause a women to develop an abscess in the setting of lactational mastitis?
Staph and Strep (what’s on the mom’s skin and what’s in the baby’s mouth get in via fissures in the skin –> infx)
What are the symptoms of lactational mastitis?
Pain, burning, redness, fever, swelling
How would you diagnose lactational mastitis?
History and phyical exam. May do an ultrasound to rule out an abscess


