General Radioanatomy of the Breast and Imaging Techniques

It is important to outline the general radioanatomy of the breast and the imaging techniques used in diagnosis and monitoring of breast health and interventions. It emphasizes the importance of breasts in a woman's self-image and identifies cosmetic breast surgery as a highly performed procedure. This chapter underlines the necessity of breast imaging not only for cancer screening but also to monitor aesthetic surgical outcomes. Imaging techniques covered include mammography, tomosynthesis, ultrasound, and MRI. CT scan is generally unsuitable for breast imaging due to its low resolution and higher radiation dose but can incidentally detect breast-related issues. The anatomy of the breast is detailed from its extension between the clavicle, the armpit, and the sternum, to its attachment to the pectoralis major muscle. The breast's structure, from the macroscopic lobes down to the microscopic acini, is described, emphasizing its functional and supportive components like Cooper’s ligaments and the lymphatic system, which plays a crucial role in immune response and healing. Finally, this chapter describes the arrangement of the lymphatic system within the breast, detailing the lymph nodes in the axillary, supraclavicular, infraclavicular, and internal mammary regions, essential for understanding the spread of diseases such as breast cancer.