Summary
Nipple hypertrophy is a rare deformity that affects women's self-esteem. Several surgical
techniques have been described for its treatment, but there is no gold standard technique,
leaving the choice to the surgeon based on preference. A systematic review was performed
using PRISMA guidelines on the surgical treatment of nipple hypertrophy over the period
available. An illustrative case series was also included with 24 women, mean age 34.5
years, with nipple hypertrophy, treated with a functional preservation technique.
This consisted of the removal of a circular segment of nipple tissue between the base
and the tip, preserving its central structures, in conjunction with breast surgeries.
The nipple-areola complex also underwent a procedure to achieve a 1:3 ratio. Postoperative
follow-up was 12 months for the metric assessment, occurrence of complications, and
tactile and pain sensitivities. A total of 1,064 articles were found, but only 19
were eligible. Most studies were classified with a low evidence level, homogeneous
series, without the possibility of meta-analysis. Regarding the case series, the measurements
of the vertical and horizontal axes varied, on average, 1.4 and 1.25 cm, respectively,
in the preoperative period. No changes in the sensitivity were reported. No women
had any of local or systemic complications. All of them were followed for at least
12 months, with preservation of the nipple-areola metrics. There is a need for better
scientific evidence regarding the surgical treatment of nipple hypertrophy. The present
surgical technique demonstrated the long-term preservation of nipple metrics without
sensory or functional impairment.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 22, 2022
Accepted:
August 16,
2022
Received:
February 18,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
