Tubular breasts and PCOS: Causes, symptoms, and treatment

Introduction

Tuberous breast PCOS is a condition in which the breasts do not develop normally during puberty. Polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS is a type of hormonal disorder that affects women.

PCOS may alter the health of women in various ways causing menstrual cycle irregularities and fertility disorders. The hormonal imbalances in PCOS may alter breast development leading to tubular breasts with PCOS. The article talks about tubular breasts with PCOS, the characteristics of tubular breasts, causes other than PCOS, complications of tubular breasts, and their management.

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What are tubular breasts with PCOS?

Tubular breasts PCOS is a condition characterized by less-than-normal growth of breast size during puberty. The breasts lack volume and are of irregular shape instead of being round. The dark area on the breasts becomes larger than normal and the nipples point downwards.

Tubular breasts with PCOS is also referred to as breast hypoplasia.

Hypoplastic tubular breasts PCOS do not cause any harm to the body. However, PCOS breast shape may make breastfeeding difficult after childbirth.

PCOS breast shape and look can be a cause of low self-esteem. However, you can have cosmetic surgery to improve the look and size of your breasts and reshape them.

What are the symptoms of tubular breasts with PCOS?

• Asymmetrical breasts (one breast may appear larger in comparison to the other)
• There may be a space of about 1.5 inches or more between the breasts
• The areolas (the dark area on the breasts) are large
• The base of tubular breasts with PCOs is usually narrow
• The nipples may point downwards
• PCOS breast shape is not round, it may be triangular, oval, square, or tube-like
• The breasts may appear droopy and lack volume

What are the causes of tuberous breast deformity?

Tubular breasts occur because the connective tissue in the breasts does not develop normally during puberty. The reason for this remains unknown. Some studies suggest a genetic mutation (change) in the womb or hormonal imbalance at the time of puberty as the cause.

Connection between PCOS and tubular breasts

Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that occurs in women during their reproductive years. In this condition, the levels of androgens (male hormones) increase in a woman.

This may result in many problems including:

• Formation of small fluid-filled sacs (sacs) in the ovaries
• Menstrual cycle irregularities
• Fertility problems
• Acne on the chest, face, or back
• Extra hair growth on the belly, face, around the nipple area, and chest
• Other skin changes (for example; the development of thick or dark creases and skin markings around the neck, breasts, groin, and armpits)
• Insulin resistance (this may lead to increased risk of getting diabetes mellitus)

In PCOS there is an imbalance of female hormones progesterone and estrogen and male hormone androgen. This hormonal imbalance may affect the development of breasts during puberty resulting in hypoplastic tubular breasts PCOS features.

Types of hypoplastic tubular breasts PCOS

Tubular breasts are characterized into four types based on gravity and the attributes of hypoplasia (lack of development of breast tissue).

Type 1

There is a mild lack of breast tissue in the lower left side of the breasts.

Type 2

There is a moderate lack of breast tissue on both the left and right sides of the lower part of the breasts. The areolas of the breasts point downwards.

Type 3

There is a moderate lack of breast tissue on both the left and right sides of the lower part of the breasts. The areolas of the breasts point downwards. The base of the breasts or the area beneath the areola is short.

Type 4

There is severe hypoplasia of the breast tissue in both the upper and lower parts. The areola is extremely large, and the base of the breast is markedly constricted both vertically and horizontally. The breast tissue present is quite minimal or scanty.

Are there any complications of tubular breasts with PCOS?

One of the complications of tuberous breast deformity NHS is difficulty during breastfeeding after childbirth. This is because due to lack of breast tissue, the milk supply is less than normal in tubular breasts with PCOS.

Furthermore, having tubular breast breasts PCOS can harm the mental health of a person. People with PCOS breast shape can develop a large amount of anxiety and stress in their relationships and friendships.

Having tubular breasts with PCOS can impact your self-confidence and the way you feel about and perceive your body. You may also not feel very comfortable in your clothes and always fear that other people will come to know about your condition.

Management of tubular breasts with PCOS

Since tubular breasts with PCOS do not cause any significant harm to a person’s life, many people with the condition do not pursue treatment.  However, you can undergo cosmetic surgery to reshape your breasts and get more naturally looking breasts.

No single surgical procedure can correct the hypoplastic tubular breast PCOS, instead many surgical methods are used in combination according to the grade and attributes of the hypoplasia.

These include the following:

Mastopexy: Mastopexy, or a breast lift is a cosmetic surgery procedure that is done to lift the droopy or sagging breasts. During a breast lift procedure, the nipple and areola correction procedure may also be done.

Nipple and areola correction: The areolas in tubular breasts PCOS are generally enlarged with elongated nipples. Surgery is done to resize and reconstruct the nipples and areolas and give them a real and balanced appearance.

Surgery to release the constricted breast tissue: During the surgery to correct tubular breasts with PCOS, the constricted breast tissue is cut to allow its expansion and produce a spherical and round breast shape.

Tissue expansion: In some cases, tissue expanders are placed in the breasts to expand the constricted and contracted tissues of the breasts. Tissue expanders help in expansion of the breast tissue over a period gradually after which the surgeon will do breast augmentation surgery to place breast implants.

Tissue expansion helps in increasing the space in the breasts and provides a favorable round and spherical breast shape after breast augmentation surgery.

Breast augmentation: It is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to enlarge the breasts or change the PCOS breast shape. During breast augmentation surgery, implants are placed beneath the breast tissue or beneath the chest muscles to augment the breasts and improve their shape.

Fat grafting: During the procedure of fat grafting also known as fat transfer, the cosmetic surgeon collects fat from one area of the body, purifies it, and injects it into the tubular breasts with PCOS to improve the volume and shape of the breasts.

Fat grafting is usually used with other surgical techniques to improve the final output.

Combination surgical procedures: It has been found that satisfactory results are obtained by appropriate classification of tubular breasts with PCOS and their treatment with combination surgical procedures. The latter may include placing expanders, using mastopexy techniques, and placing breast implants according to the specific PCOS breast shape.

Your cosmetic surgeon will recommend the treatment according to your specific PCOS breast shape. They will also describe the possible adverse effects of the surgery and the recovery time.

What are the side effects of treatment?

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks associated with surgical treatment for tubular breasts with PCOS.

• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Swelling
• Scarring
• Soreness or pain at the surgical site
• Infection at the surgical site
• Sagging of breast implants with time

Living with tubular breasts with PCOS

As already stated, PCOS is a condition characterized by hormonal imbalance in women. It affects the health of women in various ways causing symptoms such as menstrual cycle irregularities, fertility problems, skin changes, etc.

The hormonal changes in PCOS may also affect the development of breast tissue during puberty resulting in hypoplastic tubular breasts PCOS.

When should you visit your healthcare provider?

You should visit your healthcare provider for tubular breasts for PCOS if you desire treatment for them.

Is tubular breast with PCOS a cause of tubular breast cancer?

No. Tubular breast cancer or tubular breast carcinoma is a kind of invasive cancer of the breast. It is named tubular cancer because the tumor that forms in the breast has a tube-like shape. Tubular breast cancer does not occur due to having tuberous breast deformity NHS.

Which type of bra should you wear when having tubular breasts with PCOS?

A special kind of bra is not designed for PCOS breast shape. However, the following bra types can be more comfortable if you are having hypoplastic tubular breasts PCOS:

• Wireless bras
• Padded bras
• Bralette or bandeau bras
• A half-cup bra

Hypoplastic tubular breasts PCOS and breastfeeding

It has been found that in women with hypoplastic tubular breasts PCOS there is lower than normal milk production after childbirth. Therefore, they may experience problems during breastfeeding. If you have tubular breasts PCOS and are having problems breastfeeding, you may consult your healthcare provider as they may suggest various other ways to feed your baby.

Tubular breast with PCOS is a condition characterized by less-than-normal growth of breast tissue during puberty. It may happen due to the hormonal imbalances that occur in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Tubular breasts do not cause any harm to the body but may be a cause of anxiety and stress to a person. You can undergo plastic surgery in case you want to alter your PCOS breast shape.