%0 Journal Article
%T Breast Developmental Anomalies in Dormaa Municipality of Ghana: Prevalence and Impact on the Life of the Individual
%A P. Agbenorku
%A E. Otupiri
%A S. Fugar
%J Plastic Surgery International
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/140704
%X Background. Breast developmental anomalies (BDAs) are abnormalities of breast tissue that arise during breast development. Some of the anomalies can have negative impact on the person's life. This study seeks to assess the prevalence of BDA in the Dormaa Municipality in Ghana and its impact on the life of the individual. Materials and Methods. A descriptive study involving 500 female respondents aged between 11 and 25 years from selected schools in the Dormaa Municipality using self-administered questionnaires and interviews. Results. From the study, it was found that the prevalence of BDA in the municipality was 12.8%. The commonest BDA was bilateral hypoplasia which accounted for 31.3% of the BDAs found in the study. Nine (14.1%) complained of the BDA affecting their lives with most being teased in school. Twenty-two (34.4%) girls out of the 64 with BDAs had a family member with a BDA. Conclusion. BDA is a worry; therefore, comprehensive educational programs for health workers and the general public are needed to increase awareness. Also, work should be done to include education on BDA when awareness is being raised about breast cancer and on the importance of breast self-Examination (BSE). 1. Introduction Since the beginning of time, the female breast has been a symbol of feminism, and its presence is a major feature that delineates a man from a woman. A beautiful and attractive female breast is one which is symmetrically situated on the anterolateral chest wall and has soft but well-defined junctures with the chest, upper abdomen, and the axillae. The breast profile is a gentle downward vertical flow from the clavicle extending between the second and sixth ribs, vertically and horizontally between the lateral edge of the sternum and midaxillary line to the nipple-areola and forms a mildly convex curve from the nipple-areola to the inframammary crease [1, 2]. Budding of the breasts (thelarche), a sign of female secondary sexual characteristic, occurs at approximately 10-11 years, and the time it takes for the breast to reach maturity can be as short as 18 months or may take as long as nine years. During this period of breast development, several processes or factors may go wrong leading to their abnormal growth. These include genetic, environmental, exposure to infectious agents, trauma, radiation, neoplastic, or endocrine conditions [3¨C7]. Some of these anomalies may arise purely in the breast tissue and these include amastia (absence of breast; occurs when mammary ridges fail to develop) [8], hypoplasia (underdeveloped breasts), macromastia
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psi/2013/140704/