Measurements of breasts of young West African females: a guideline in anatomical landmarks for adolescent breast surgery.

[BACKGROUND] There have been few studies to develop standardized methods of measuring female breasts' shapes in clinical settings in West Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical variation in breast measurements among a large group of adolescent female subjects, with the goal of providing guideline metrics to surgeons performing reduction mammaplasty and mastopexy on patients desiring a more adolescent shape and nipple position.

[METHODS] Standard measurement parameters of both breasts were measured and recorded. Subjects were female students from six selected junior high schools (JHS) at Sogakope, Ghana. Demographic and statistical data were recorded and analyzed with Epi Info™ 2000.

[RESULTS] A total of 438 subjects, aged 16-22 years (mean = 17.43 years) were surveyed. The average distance from the suprasternal notch to the left and right breast nipples was 20.97 and 20.31 cm, respectively. The average distance from the left and right nipples to their inframammary crease was 9.36 and 9.21 cm, respectively. The average distance from the midline in the xiphoid area to the left and right nipples was 10.94 and 10.84 cm, respectively. The average asymmetrical difference in length along the vertical midline between left and right breasts for 53.4% (234) of the total subjects (438) was 1.32 cm; no differences were recorded for the remaining 204 subjects.

[CONCLUSION] The "normal values" for adolescent youthful breasts differ slightly from previous reports on desired adult breast outcomes. It is hoped that these values would serve as a baseline in aesthetic breast surgeries, especially in reduction mammaplasty in young females.