Objective Breast Volume, Shape And Surface Area Assessment: A Systematic Review Of Breast Measurement Methods

BackgroundThere are many methods of measuring the breast and their clinicalapplications are well described in the literature. However, there has beenno attempt to compare these various methods to allow the user to have abroad overview of the subject. The authors have attempted to summariseall the available methods to measure the breast in this article to provide auseful reference for all.MethodsA comprehensive literature search of PubMed was performed, andthe resulting articles were screened and reviewed. The data regarding themethods’ mechanism, reliability, time, and cost were evaluated andcompared.ResultsA total of75articles dating from1970to2013were included in thisstudy. All of the methods can be classified into those that measure1)volume,2) shape and3) surface area. Each category consists of severalmethods that work through different mechanisms and they vary in theirreliability and feasibility. Based on their mechanism, the volumemeasurement methods were further grouped in the natural shape methods,the stereological method, the geometrical methods and the mathematicalmodelling method. ConclusionsMore objective breast evaluation can be achieved if all threedimensions (volume, shape and surface area) are considered. In the volumemeasurements, the devices used to construct a3D model and the MRI arethe most reliable tools. In the shape measurements, aside from linearmeasurements,3D methods that can deliver color-coded pictures and theSwanson’s photograph system are capable of depicting and tracking breastshape change. Although the surface area metric has not been usedextensively, it has potential in clinical and research applications.