Supernumerary nipple

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Supernumerary nipple
Other namesThird nipple, Triple nipple, Accessory nipple,[1] Polythelia
Trzeci sutek.jpg
SpecialtyMedical genetics, dermatology

A supernumerary nipple is an additional nipple occurring in mammals, including humans. Often mistaken for moles, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed in humans at a rate of approximately 1 in 18 people.[1][2]



Type Glandular tissue Nipple Areola Fat tissue Hair patch
1 yes yes yes 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[5]




Society and culture[edit]



The film focuses on Louw’s attempts to understand why he was born with extra nipples, a condition he shares with the likes of Mark Wahlberg,[10] Lily Allen,[11] and Tilda Swinton, as well as well known TV and film characters such as Scaramanga and Chandler Bing.

Fascinated and confused by this seemingly pointless mutation, Louw sets off on a personal journey of discovery to try and unwrap "the riddle of the triple nipple". He starts out by consulting the man in the street and even a renowned teratologist, an expert in physical mutations. After testing the notion that extra nipples could be a sign of fertility, he discovers that they are actually an atavism, or evolutionary 'holdover' – a sign of how humans evolved.[12]

See also[edit]


  4. ^ Revis, Don R. Jr. "Breast Embryology". eMedicine. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
  5. ^ Camacho F.; González-Cámpora R. (1998). "Polythelia pilosa: A Particular Form of Accessory Mammary Tissue". Dermatology. 196 (3): 295–298. doi:10.1159/000017924. PMID 9621135.
  10. ^ - Mark Wahlberg's third nipple love
  11. ^ YouTube - Lilly Allen Third Nipple
  12. ^ Salon | Why do men have nipples?

External links[edit]

External resources