A woman has developed a cancerous lump in each breast, and the skin of the breasts is dimpled. What structure(s) is/are causing the dimpling?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The suspensory ligaments of the breast attach the breast tissue to the underlying muscle and fascia. When cancerous lumps develop, they pull on the suspensory ligaments, causing them to shorten and tug on the skin, resulting in the characteristic dimpling of the skin. The pectoralis major and minor muscles and smooth muscle cells around the ducts would not be likely causes of skin dimpling.

A Woman Has Developed a Cancerous Lump in Each Breast