Breast Fluctuating Asymmetry in Women with Macromastia/Gigantomastia

Anna Kasielska-Trojan (), Tomasz Zawadzki and Bogusław Antoszewski
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Anna Kasielska-Trojan: Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, Medical University of Lodz, Kopcinskiego 22, 90-153 Lodz, Poland
Tomasz Zawadzki: Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, Medical University of Lodz, Kopcinskiego 22, 90-153 Lodz, Poland
Bogusław Antoszewski: Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, Medical University of Lodz, Kopcinskiego 22, 90-153 Lodz, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-8

Abstract: Background: A number of studies have reported breasts have high fluctuating asymmetry (FA:|Right-Left|), suggesting that they contain evolutionary and clinical information (e.g., high FA correlates with breast cancer risk). Here we focus on breast FA in women with a wide range of breast sizes, including participants with macromastia and/or gigantomastia. Material and methods: The sample included 65 women (mean age 33.97 ± 12.1 years). Thirty were randomly selected students and/or patients who regarded their breast size as small, normal or average and who had not undergone or intended to have any breast surgery. The remainder ( n = 35) were qualified for breast reduction due to macromastia and/or gigantomastia. In all participants we measured/calculated weight, height and BMI, as well as took chest photographs. Breast volumes and nipple areola complex FAs were evaluated in a specifically-designed software. Results: Breast size significantly positively correlated with breast volume FA in all women (t = 5.17, p < 0.0001) and in women with macromastia/gigantomastia (t = 2.32, p = 0.027). All nipple location FAs correlated positively with breast size. Conclusions: In women with different breast sizes, breast size correlates with FA calculated from breast volume and nipple location FAs. In women with macromastia and/or gigantomastia, breasts present higher FA than “normal” breasts. This observation may give a rationale for earlier and more frequent prophylactic breast imaging in women with macromastia and/or gigantomastia.

Keywords: breast size; fluctuating asymmetry; macromastia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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