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CC BY 4.0 · Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica (RBCP) – Brazilian Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025; 40: s00451811182
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1811182
Ideias e Inovações

Intergender Anthropometric Comparison of the Nipple-Areola Complex

Article in several languages: português | English

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Financial Support The authors declare that they did not receive financial support from agencies in the public, private, or non-profit sectors to conduct the present study. Clinical Trials None.
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Abstract

Introduction

The nipple-areola complex (NAC) plays a fundamental role in the esthetic and functional harmony of the thoracic region, with direct implications for procedures such as gender-affirming surgeries, postbariatric breast reconstructions, and gynecomastia treatments. Although the literature contains several reports on female parameters, data on male NAC remain scarce, hindering proper surgical planning.

Materials and Methods

The present cross-sectional study included 440 male subjects aged 18 to 47 years with a body mass index (BMI) from 18 to 30 kg/m2. The measurements included the internipple distance, the nipple-to-sternal notch distance, the NAC-to-inframammary fold (NAC-IMF) distance, and the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the NAC. We compared the data with the female parameters reported in the literature using descriptive and inferential statistics to assess significant differences.

Results

The male NAC exhibited a greater internipple distance and a more inferior and lateralized positioning than the female NAC. The oblong shape of the male NAC contrasted with the circular pattern observed in females. The NAC-IMF distance was shorter in men than in women.

Conclusion

The observed differences reinforce that female parameters are not suitable to guide male surgeries. The current study establishes specific guidelines for the male NAC, contributing to more precise and individualized outcomes in gender-affirming surgeries, breast reconstructions, and gynecomastia treatments, offering an innovative foundation for the clinical practice.

Keywords

anthropometry - gender dysphoria - gynecomastia - mammaplasty - transsexualism

Study performed at the Department of Plastic and Reparative Surgery, Hospital Central do Exército, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, and at the Department of Surgery, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.




Publication History

Received: 09 January 2025

Accepted: 20 May 2025

Article published online:
15 October 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Mariana Brandão Miqueloti Inglez, Elvio Bueno Garcia, Paulo Rogério Quiregatto do Espírito Santo, Ricardo Aguiar Villanova Freire, Christian de Araujo Vieira, Carine Barreto Gonzaga, Vanessa da Silva Azambuja Ribeiro. Comparação antropométrica intergêneros do complexo areolopapilar. Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica (RBCP) – Brazilian Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025; 40: s00451811182.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1811182
 

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