aberrations of involution

Last reviewed 01/2018

After pregnancy or in nulliparous women after the age of 30, the breast begins to involute.

During this process the breast stroma - the fibrous connective tissue which supports the glandular tissue of the breast - is gradually replaced by fat. This results in the breasts becoming less radiodense, softer and allowing them to droop. The glandular elements of the breast also change with areas of fibrosis, the formation of small cysts and an increase in the number of glandular elements or adenosis.