Objective. - To make a development on the recent data of the literature concerning the functional anatomy of the lymphatic drainage of the breast, observed during interventions of sentinel lymph node biopsy; to compare the descriptive anatomy taking into consideration these new results. Methods. - The population of our descriptive anatomical study is made-up of five patients. All the patients underwent a radical mastectomy during which, an injection of 2 ml of patented blue, realized at the periareolar area allowed to observe the glandular lymphatic vessels. Bibliographic researches were undertaken on Internet site of the National Library of Medicine:and on Internet site of the library of anatomy (Faculte de medecine des Saints-Peres Paris). Results. - Lymphatic anatomy of the breast was described,since more than one century starting from works undertaken on anatomical subjects. Recent works, completed during sentinel lymph node biopsy, enriched these descriptive data of new functional anatomical data on the lymphatic drainage of the breast. Thus, the superficial ways of lymphatic drainage already described by Sappey, drain the surface glandular parenchyma until in the axillary lymph node. A deep plexux described more recently by Hidden drain the deep glandular parenchyma until in the internal mammary lymph nodes and the axillary lymph nodes, The results of our in vivo study corroborated the descriptive and functional data ever known. Conclusion. - Thanks to the sentinel lymph node biopsy technique, the descriptive anatomy described since 1885, grows rich by new functional data which make it possible on the one hand, to understand at best the descriptive anatomy, and on the other hand, to apprehend the lymphonodal metastatic risk in breast cancer. Theses recent data are of an interest real, as, well anatomical as therapeutic, and constitute a interesting research orientation. (c) 2006 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits reserves.
