Vasculature of the Breast
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Blood supply of the breast arises from the perforating branches and anterior intercostal branches of the internal thoracic artery.
The breast is also supplied by the branches of the thoracoacromial and lateral thoracic arteries (from the axillary artery).
Venous drainage parallels the arterial supply and is mainly to the axillary artery and internal thoracic vein.Lymphatic Drainage of the Breast
[Plate 178, Lymph Vessels and Nodes of Mammary Gland]Lymph from the nipple, areola, and lobules of the mammary glands drains to a subareolar lymphatic plexus.
From there, a system of interconnecting lymphatic channels drains lymph to various lymph nodes.
The majority of the lymph, especially from the lateral quadrants of the breast, drains to the pectoral nodes, and from there to the axillary
nodes.
The remaining amount of lymph, especially from the medial quadrants of the breast, drains into the parasternal lymph nodes along the
internal thoracic vessels.
Some lymph from the lower quadrants of the breast passes to the inferior phrenic nodes.
It is important to note that lymph from the medial quadrants can cross to the opposite breast.
Thus secondary metastases of breast carcinoma can spread to the opposite breast in this way.