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THE
BREAST
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the males the breast remains dormant, inactive, and functionless throughout
the life. In the females, this the story only up to the puberty. Because
of the hormonal internal environment, in the females, the breast undergoes
various changes from the childhood to menopause and after. The real
development of the breasts even in the females begins not in the childhood
but in the adolescence. The startled look, the causeless smile to
herself either in company or in solitude, the bashful malar flush
are the signs of approaching threshold, the menarche. It metamorphoses
or transforms the blooming childhood into innocent virginity. After
the menarche, as the females begin regular menstrual cycle, the parallel
and proportionate growth occurs in the breast tissue. Like the bud,
by opening petal after petal transforming into a full-blown flower;
the breast under the influence of hormones, by opening acinus after
acinus is transformed into well developed anatomical structure. During
each menstrual cycle various changes take place in the mammary tissue.
They occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle. In this phase
the acini open out, the fibrofatty tissue is deposited around them,
the blood supply increases. The breast thus increases in size, it
becomes warm, painful and tender. The pigment melanin is deposited
in the areola and nipple. They therefore assume a light pink hue.
The nipple becomes more and more prominent and protrudes well above
the areola. It becomes more and more active and erectile. The pregnancy
is transformation of vigorous youth and innocent virginity into affectionate
motherhood. The females exhibit signs of warm welcome to a wanted
newcomer in the family. The first perception of the warmth is in their
bosom. The first change that occurs is increased vascularity of the
breast; increasing the warmth and flush over the skin. The size of
the breast increases. The glandular structures increase in size and
number. In the first trimester the areola and nipple show dark pigmentation
due to the deposition of the excess amount of melanin. The pink hue
of the virgin's areola and nipple then changes to permanent brown
coloration of these structures. This fact is of medico-legal importance.
The sebaceous glands on the areola increase in size. They are now
known as Montgomery tubercles. The nipple may be retracted and cracked.
These changes are prerequisites for the lactation. After the delivery,
the breast enters the phase of lactation. During this phase the nipple
enlarges in size and protrudes well in front of the areola. It is
kept moist and well lubricated by the secretion of the sebaceous glands.
The openings of the lactiferous ducts on the nipple widen. Under the
influence of the hormone prolactin secreted by the anterior pituitary
gland, the secretion of the milk from the breast increases. The milk
synthesis is more or less a continuous process. During the suckling
the discharge of the milk is continuous and continues till the lactiferous
glands are completely empty. At or after weaning the child from breast-feeding,
the changes induced in the breast during pregnancy and lactation are
expected to revert. Though many changes do revert, the status quo
ante of the breast is not attained. This is the precursor for many
diseases of the breast in future to come! The menopause is hush in
solitude in a woman's life! It indicates the dusk of womanhood. Like
a withering tree, the anatomy and physiology of the breast show signs
of withering. The acini atrophy, the glands shrink in size and may
reduce in number, the fatty tissue shrivels. The breast as a whole
then shrinks in size, becomes flabby and pendulous. The erectile power
of the nipple diminishes, transforming the 'warmth' of the youth to
the 'coldness' of the senescence! |
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