ABSTRACT
A total of 150 healthy women were studied to determine normal values for breast sensibility and to investigate the influence of breast size and ptosis on breast sensation. Cutaneous pressure thresholds were evaluated bilaterally in six areas including the nipple, the areola, and the skin of the breast using the Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. We found that the skin of the superior quadrant was the most sensitive part of the breast, the areola was less sensitive, and the nipple was the least sensitive part. The cutaneous sensibility of all tested areas decreased significantly with increasing breast size and increasing breast ptosis. The nipple was less sensitive in women who had a previous pregnancy. Age, smoking history, or hormonal contraception had no significant influence on breast sensation. The study shows that the Semmes-Weinstein test is an adequate method for assessing sensation in the breast.
Subject(s)
Mechanoreceptors/physiology , Skin/innervation , Touch/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Nipples/innervation , Organ Size , Pregnancy/physiology , Reference Values , Sensory Thresholds/physiologyABSTRACT
To evaluate the actual status of interdisciplinary treatment involving plastic surgery in Austria in 1993 and 1994, standardised questionnaires were sent to all Departments of Plastic Surgery and to 129--mainly surgically orientated--medical departments in Vienna. The survey revealed that more than 50 percent of interdisciplinary co-operation took place with the departments of traumatology, general surgery and dermatology. The demand for co-operation with plastic surgeons was especially felt in tumor surgery, peripheral nerve surgery and hand surgery. An additional demand for co-operation represented larger soft tissue defects and congenital anomalies.