Tuberous, or “tubular”, breasts occur when breast tissue does not develop properly during puberty. As such, tuberous breasts do not become apparent until adolescence when the breasts begin to take on their adult form. Essentially, tuberous breasts are caused by a herniation of breast tissue into the areola, triggering an expansion of the areola itself. In these instances, once the breast begins to develop during puberty, the breast is prevented from expanding on the horizontal and/or vertical axes, causing constriction and thus a narrower base. Other characteristics of tuberous breasts include enlarged and/or puffy areolas, wide spacing between the breasts, and minimal breast tissue.
Diagnosis of tuberous breasts is based on the appearance of the breast. The following are features of tuberous breasts:
Tuberous breasts can be improved with Plastic Surgery. One of the most common procedures to correct tuberous breasts is implant placement with a breast lift (augmentation mastopexy). In cases of tuberous breasts with abnormally large areolas, surgical reduction of the overall size of the areolas can be performed.