The Configuration and Location of the Nipple-Areola Complex of Young Korean Adult

ABSTRACT

The absence of the nipple-areolar complex(NAC) in men are seldom stated, as a result of trauma, burn, mastectomy, or after the correction of extreme bilateral gynecomastia. A total of 50 healthy men aged 21 to 27 years were examined. We recorded the configuration (dimensions and shape) and the location of the NAC with respect to fixed skeletal anatomic landmarks. Of the 50 subjects examined, 44 had oval and 6 had a round NAC. The mean diameter for a round NAC was 24.3 mm. The center of the NAC was in the fourth intercostal space in 41 volunteers and in the fifth intercostal space in 9 of the subjects. To localize the NAC on the chest wall, at least three reproducible measurements proved to be necessary, composed of a horizontal line(distance from the midsternal line to the nipple, A), a medial oblique line(distance from the sternal notch to the nipple, B) and a lateral oblique line(distance from the acromioclavicular joint to the nipple, C). Using these three parameters, we recommend that the appropriate location can be calculated derived from the circumference of the chest.