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| Supernumerary nipple Classification and external resources |
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| Supernumerary nipples. (Third and fourth nipple of male Scandinavian). A - regular birthmark. B - regular nipple. C - Supernumerary nipple | |
| ICD-10 | Q83.3 |
| ICD-9 | 757.6 |
| OMIM | 163700 |
| DiseasesDB | 32140 |
| MedlinePlus | 003110 |
| eMedicine | derm/735 |
A supernumerary nipple (also known as a third nipple, triple nipple, thripple, accessory nipple, polythelia or polymastia) is an additional nipple occurring in mammals, including humans. Often mistaken for moles, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 18 humans[1].
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Presentation
The nipples appear along the two vertical "milk lines", which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast in miniature. [2][3]
| type | glandular tissue | nipple | areola | fat tissue | hair patch |
| 1 | yes | ||||
| 2 | yes | yes | |||
| 3 | yes | yes | |||
| 4 | yes | ||||
| 5 ("pseudomamma") | yes | yes | yes | ||
| 6 ("polythelia") | yes | ||||
| 7 ("polythelia areolaris") | yes | ||||
| 8 ("polythelia pilosa ") | yes |
Polythelia refers to the presence of an additional nipple alone while polymastia denotes the much rarer presence of additional mammary glands.
Although usually presenting on the milk line, pseudomamma can appear as far away as the foot.[4]
A possible relationship with mitral valve prolapse has been proposed.[5]
Known examples
- Carrie Underwood during her American Idol audition admitted to have had a third nipple which looked like a mole.
- Lily Allen has a third nipple, which she showed freely on television in a 2007 episode of The Friday Night Project [2].[6]
- Mark Wahlberg, producer of the TV series Entourage, star the films The Perfect Storm and Boogie Nights, former Calvin Klein underwear model, and a former singer known as Marky Mark, has a third nipple.[7] He famously spoke about it to the press before considering an operation to have it removed, but has since reneged, citing his third nipple as his "prized possession".[8]
- Anne Boleyn, second wife to Henry VIII of England, and mother of Elizabeth I, is said have had a third nipple or even a third breast. This may well have been a slanderous rumour, as in Tudor times these "malformations" were considered to be a sign of the person having been a witch. The circumstances of her marriage to the king, who had divorced his first wife, made her a controversial figure.[9]
- Rudolf Hess (April 26, 1894–August 17, 1987), a leader of the Third Reich until his sudden excursion to Britain and subsequent capture by the Allied forces. He lived out his remaining years at Spandau prison. [10]
References
- ^ BBC article with reference to the rate of extra nipples appearing in humans —
- ^ Kajava Y. The proportions of supernumerary nipples in the Finnish population. Duodecim 1915;1:143-70.
- ^ "eMedicine - Breast Embryology : Article by Don R Revis, Jr, MD". Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
- ^ "Pseudomamma on the foot: An unusual presentation of supernumerary breast tissue". Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
- ^ Rajaratnam K, Kumar PD, Sahasranam KV (2000). "Supernumerary nipple as a cutaneous marker of mitral valve prolapse in Asian Indians". Am. J. Cardiol. 86 (6): 695–7, A9. doi:. PMID 10980229.
- ^ "Lily Allen". The Friday Night Project. Channel 4. 2007-06-29.
- ^ BBC article citing known examples of supernumerary nipples
- ^ Softpedia article with quotes of Mark Wahlberg discussing his reasons not to have his third nipple surgically removed
- ^ Article on the topic of Boleyn's third nipple/breast —
- ^ [1] —
External links
- Healthwise "Accessory nipples (polythelia) and breast tissue (polymastia)" at uhseast.com, accessed 26 December 2004
- BBC: Cancer hope over breast gene find at BBC
- My physical deformity at infactah.com
- The Superfluous Nipple news and information blog.
- [3] Documentary about extra nipples.
See also
- Accessory breast, a condition where an entire additional breast is present rather than simply an additional nipple
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 5 October 2008, at 03:55.
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