Breast deformity and reconstruction in Turner syndrome: A collection of case studies

Abstract

IntroductionPatients with Turner syndrome demonstrate a variety of breast deformities that can contribute to their reported lack of self-esteem, sexual health and social adjustment. Breast reconstruction is an option for women with TS to correct breast deformities. MethodsWe present three cases of women with Turner syndrome referred to the Breast Cancer Clinic at Women's College Hospital in Toronto between 1996 and 2009. Each woman had a breast deformity despite being on hormone replacement therapy and was requesting reconstruction to increase their self-esteem, feelings of femininity and sexual confidence. ResultsWomen with Turner syndrome may present with various breast deformities, including tubular deformities, bilateral developmental mammary hyperplasia, hypoplasia and asymmetry. Pre-operative self-ratings of breast appearance ranged from 3 to 6 (1 = hate, 10 = love). All patients reported breast deformities as having negative effect on self-esteem. All patients received bilateral implant reconstruction resulting in an improved self-rating of breast appearance. ConclusionsWomen with Turner syndrome and breast deformities may benefit from bilateral breast reconstruction.