Tuberous breasts also called tubular or caprine are a non-hereditary congenital malformation although with a certain family grouping that affects a large number of women and manifests itself at the time that the breast develops in women.
Tuberous or tubular breasts are characterized by:
- Tubular shape, large areolas, areolar hernia (protrusion of part of the gland in the areolar area), high submammary groove, breast separation and often breast asymmetry.
Many of the women who consult us have this type of deformity and although they are increasingly informed on many occasions they are not very aware of having this type of deformity. This type of breast is also called tubular breast, constricted breast or goat breast.
There are a wide variety of tuberous breast forms, ranging from mild to severe.
Tuberous breasts develop when the skin does not stretch properly during puberty. The result is a constricted breast that in the most severe cases comes to have a shape similar to a tube. Often, the breasts will have a pointed shape, rather than a pleasant round base. The areola is generally quite large and often looks like it is near the end of the breast. Women should know that tuberous breasts are more common than most people think.
Women with tuberous breasts are usually well aware of the “abnormal” appearance of their breasts. Although it is not normally noticeable a great asymmetry between the two breasts sometimes they are very different, being able to have a small tuberous breast and another normal or the two tuberous but of different size. In general, correction is done after puberty, once the breasts have fully developed. In severe cases, correction can be done earlier, but in general it is better to wait until the chest has had a chance to fully mature.
Characteristics of tuberous or tubular breasts:
Most of the characteristics of the tuberous breast are:
- A restriction of the skin both horizontally below the breast and vertically on the inside.
- A reduction in the volume of the breast parenchyma.
- Abnormal elevation of the submammary groove.
- Pseudohernia of the mammary parenchyma through the areola.
- Large areola.
Some or all of these deformities may be evident on the patient’s first inspection.