Portuguese Woman Produces Milk From Armpit After Giving Birth. Wait…What?

I’ve always heard that the human body is extremely complex. I for one don’t disagree. And that is because I’ve read so many weird medical cases that I really didn’t think anything could surprise me anymore with regards to the human body. (Yes, I do sometimes read medical cases when I’m bored.) But I guess I was wrong. The latest medical case about a Portuguese woman producing breast milk from her armpit after giving birth – has blown my mind away. 

Recently, a 26-year-old Portuguese woman started producing breast milk from her armpit after she gave birth to her child. The doctors at the Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon, Portugal, diagnosed the new mother with polymastia.

The case started when the woman complained about feeling pain in her right armpit two days after giving birth. The doctors then examined her armpit and found around mass formed there which released a white discharge when pressed. After investigating the discharge, they realized that it is actually breast milk.

She was then diagnosed with polymastia, which is “a condition in which accessory breast tissue develops along the former embryonic mammary ridge.” According to a paper, up to six percent of women are born with accessory breast tissue and don’t realize it until they become pregnant and or start breastfeeding the breast milk.

The doctors told her that her condition was benign and is currently undergoing a typical breast cancer screening. Because the mass is producing breast milk just like the breasts, the accessory tissue also needs to be checked for cancer the way any typical breast tissue is checked.

The human body is so fascinating. And I’m not just saying this because a woman in Portugal is producing breast milk from her right armpit. It really amazes me that even though medical science has come such a long way, there are still moments that leave the doctors stunned. I often wonder if we’ll ever be able to comprehend the entire human body for what it is.