Breast parenchyma refers to the functional tissue of the breast. Based on the provided information, mammographic breast parenchymal pattern or percent density primarily reflects the proportion of glandular tissue compared to fatty tissue within the breast.
Understanding Breast Parenchyma
- Definition: Breast parenchyma essentially describes the active, functional components of the breast, mainly the glandular tissue responsible for milk production.
- Composition: This glandular tissue includes the ducts and lobules.
- Mammographic Density: On a mammogram, the density of the breast parenchyma indicates the relative amounts of glandular and fatty tissue. Higher density means more glandular tissue and less fat.
- Clinical Significance: The density of breast parenchyma can be an indicator of breast cancer risk. As noted in the provided information, mammographic breast parenchymal pattern or percent density is mainly a reflection of the proportion of glandular tissue to fatty tissue, and studies have shown that it works synergistically with other risk factors such as nulliparity in predicting breast cancer risk.
Factors Affecting Parenchymal Density
Several factors can influence the density of breast parenchyma:
- Age: Breast density tends to decrease with age as glandular tissue is replaced by fat.
- Hormonal Changes: Fluctuations in hormone levels, such as during menstruation, pregnancy, or hormone replacement therapy, can affect breast density.
- Genetics: Genetic factors also play a role in determining breast density.
- Parity: As noted in the provided reference, nulliparity (never having given birth) is a risk factor that can work synergistically with parenchymal density to increase breast cancer risk.
Density and Risk
It's important to understand that higher breast density is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Summary
In summary, breast parenchyma describes the functional glandular tissue of the breast, and its density, as seen on mammograms, represents the ratio of glandular to fatty tissue and serves as a factor in assessing breast cancer risk.
