[Incidence and location of polythelias, polymastias and mammae aberratae. A prospective one year study of 1,660 patients of a gynecologic practice].

In 1660 gynaecologic screenings for cancer during the year 1985 we found supernumerary mammae (polymastia, polythelia and mammae aberratae) in 96 patients (5.78%). Polymastia: 2 patients (0.12%). Mammae aberratae: 3 patients (0.18%). In all these 5 patients the supernumerary mamma was smaller than the eutopic one, but painful before menstruation and during breast-feeding. Polythelia: 91 patients (5.48%). In this group there were; 37 patients with clearly developed mamilla with an areola mamillae (2.23%), located mainly caudal of the eutopic breast, 11 patients like a), but without an areola mamillae (0.66%), 43 patients with a rest of a mamilla with or without an "anlage" of an areola mamillae (2.59%). Nearly all of these rudimentary organs were found on the fictive prenatal embryonal line, which begins at the plica axillaris anterior and ends in the inguinal region about 3-4 cm lateral of the median line. The distance measured most frequently between two rudimentary breast-"anlagen" was 3 cm.