This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Breast (nerve supply)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The breast skin is innervated by the:

  • anterior branches of the 1st to 6th intercostal nerves for medial breast skin
  • lateral branches of the 2nd to 7th intercostal nerves for lateral breast skin
  • 4th intercostal nerve, both anterior and lateral branches for the nipple areola complex with contributions from the 3rd and 5th intercostal nerves

These same cutaneous nerves supply sensory fibres and sympathetic fibres to the mammary gland. However, the secretory functions of the breast are largely controlled by hormones from the ovaries and pituitary.

 

Ref: (1) Jaspars JJ, Posma AN, van Immerseel AA, Gittenberger-de Groot AC. The cutaneous innervation of the female breast and nipple-areola complex: implications for surgery. Br J Plast Surg 1997;50(4):249-59.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.