Tuberous Breast Diagnosis and Treatment

Posted by Dr. Hardesty

Goal

The goal of this post is to describe the typical appearance of a tuberous breast and treatment options.

Description and Characteristics

Tuberous breast deformity received its name because the breast often looked like tubers (a vegetable). It’s a clinical diagnosis that can present from a minimal to significant deformity. It’s also congenital (born with it) and has a variable inheritance pattern.

A tuberous breast’s typical characteristics range on a spectrum and can include some, many or all of the following:

1. Enlarged and puffy nipple areola complex (NAC)
2. Unusually wide spacing between the breasts
3. Minimal breast tissue
4. Sagging (ptosis)
5. A higher than normal breast fold
6. A constricted narrow breast base on the chest wall, resulting in disproportional breast shape (tuber)
7. Asymmetry of the breasts

There is often a wide and varying spectrum of presentation and the appearance of the breasts can be quite different.

Treatment Options 

Treatment varies depending on the how the breasts look and the desires of the patient.

This includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Breast augmentation with implants
2. NAC reduction
3. Release of the constricted breast base
4. In severe cases, breast tissue expansion
5. Amastopexy (breast lift)
6. A combination of above

Conclusion 

As said, tuberous breasts have a wide spectrum of presentations or appearances. While rare, they are not unusual. Depending on the desired look and other patient desires, standard plastic surgery techniques can be used to significantly improve the size, shape and appearance of the breasts.

The Staff of Imagine Plastic Surgery serving many of the communities of the greater Inland Empire including but limited to Riverside, CA and Inland Empire, Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Corona, Upland, and Chino Hills.