Polythelia Polymastia
Please click to enlarge.
Note what signs you see.
I (W. Wertelecki, M.D.) see a fantastic depiction of polythelia – polymastia (P-P).
PERSPECTIVE: This example illustrates notions of normal, variant and anomaly. A cat, a dog with P-P is labeled as normal, a human with 2 nipples (thelia) and breasts (mastia) is labeled as normal. What are then 18 or so percent of humans? For fundamental believers in Biblical dogmas, labeling such humans as products of sexual intercourse with the Devil was an easy solution. For a rational clinician, P-P underscores the importance of looking for this variation of normal development. Mammals have 2 vertical “milk lines” along which P-P develop. Perhaps the difference between humans and cats is that in humans there is developmental inhibition of additional P-P just like in chickens, the development of teeth like those in dinosaurs is inhibited.
