Background: Understanding the main blood supply to the nipple-areola complex (NAC) is important for breast plastic surgery. However, previous reports have involved studies of cadavers and small sample sizes.
Objectives: This study aimed to identify and classify the in vivo blood supply to the NAC based on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).
Methods: DCE-MRI images of 393 breasts in 245 Asian women obtained from March 2012 to October 2019 were included retrospectively. Axial, coronal, and sagittal maximum-intensity projection images were evaluated to identify all vessels supplying the NAC. Blood supply to the NAC was classified into 9 anatomic zones: superomedial (Ia), medial (Ib), inferomedial (Ic), superolateral (IIa), lateral (IIb), inferolateral (IIc), central (III), inferior (IV), and superior (V).
Results: A total of 637 source vessels were identified in 393 breasts. Of the 393 breasts, 211 (53.7%) were supplied by a single zone, 132 (33.6%) by 2 zones, 38 (9.7%) by 3 zones, and 12 (3.1%) by 4 zones. Of the 637 vessels, 269 (42.2%) vessels were in zone Ia, 180 (28.3%) vessels were in zone IIa, and <10% of vessels were in the other zones. The number of NAC perfusion zones (P = 0.093) and the distribution of source vessels (P = 0.602) did not differ significantly between the left and right breasts.
Conclusions: DCE-MRI provides a clear indication of the blood supply to the NAC. Blood vessels from the superomedial and superolateral zones were the predominant sources of blood supplying the NAC.
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