title: Anatomy of the nipple and breast ducts revisited.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing interest in the intraductal approach to the breast has necessitated revisiting the anatomy of the breast.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using six different complementary in vivo and in vitro approaches, the authors determined the number, distribution, and anatomic properties of the ductal systems of the breast, which extend from the nipple orifices to the terminal duct lobular units.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 90% of all nipples examined contained 5-9 ductal orifices, generally arranged as a central group and a peripheral group. Each nipple orifice communicated with a separate, nonanastomosing ductal system, which extended to the terminal duct lobular unit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased knowledge of the ductal anatomy of the breast and the ability to access the nipple ductal orifices will provide a foundation for the intraductal approach to the breast.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA. slove@earthlink.net
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: Sanford H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Barsky
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008327:Mammography; D009558:Nipples / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D012189:Retrospective Studies