The Breast: Morphology, Physiology, and Lactation

Scientific interest in functions of the breast is manifested by the increasing number of publications in both the clinical and investigative literature during the past decade. Nevertheless, there is probably no organ about which there is greater misinformation than the breast. The author has successfully summarized the basic information about structure and function of the breast (with emphasis on lactation and interrelated endocrine functions) and about disorders of the breast such as the syndromes of inappropriate lactation. In the first of nine chapters, the author discusses development of the breast from the fetal to the adolescent phase, although he does not provide detailed information about the mechanisms that govern the development of a prepubertal breast along female or male patterns. The second chapter deals mostly with the adult breast, anatomically and functionally, and describes the changes during pregnancy, and the factors controlling the synthesis and release of milk. The discussion