A method of assessing female breast morphometry and its clinical application

A series of reproducible measurements have been developed with reference to a single midline datum that describe the position of key landmarks on the female breast. Measurements were made on a 'normal' population of 60 subjec ts content with their breast shape in order to (1) produce 'normal' referen ce data for breast shape in a population of varying weight and height; and (2) to evaluate factors which may influence the measurements. The findings show that the vertical positions of the measurements migrate inferiorly wit h increasing age. With increasing weight, the landmarks (except the medial end of the inframammary crease) migrate inferolaterally. Areolar diameter d ecreases with increasing age and increases with increasing weight. Only one of the 12 bilateral breast measurement parameters shows a significant mean difference between the right and left breast. However, in a proportion of subjects, individual measurements show fluctuating asymmetry. Subsequently, measurements were made of the breasts of women attending with requests for either reduction (n = 25) or augmentation (n = 6) mammaplasty. Compared wi th the 'normal' population, the group requesting reduction mammaplasty diff ered significantly in the majority of measurements. The group of patients r equesting breast augmentation showed fewer differences compared with the 'n ormal' population. The average BMI of women requesting augmentation mammapl asty was significantly less and that of women requesting reduction mammapla sty significantly greater than the normal population. In conclusion, a simple and reproducible method of morphometric measurement of the female breast is described. Application of this method suggests tha t patients requesting reduction or augmentation mammaplasty on the NHS repr esent a significant deviation from 'normal' morphometry and do not simply h ave a subjective distortion of their own body image.