A 35-year-old Filipino woman possesses one of the rarest medical phenomena in the world. According to a medical report, doctors described how the woman's armpits are capable of producing breast milk. Dermatologists from the University of the Philippines described this unusual medical marvel earlier this fall in the journal JAAD Case Reports. The reason the woman's armpits produce milk is that she was born with extra breast tissue on both sides of her armpits. Typically, as in this case, the extra glands are not accompanied by areolas or nipples. Doctors identified ectopic breast tissue in her armpits, meaning a part of the body exists where it normally shouldn't. Most cases are sporadic or occur randomly, but about 6% are linked to genetic factors. As expected, having one or two extra breasts is an extremely rare condition. The doctors wrote: 'Ectopic breast tissue is a rare condition,' noting that it occurs in only about 2% to 6% of women and 1% to 3% of men. Despite some additional hassles that came with her pregnancy, the two extra breasts don't appear to be harming her health. According to the report, the woman first noticed something different under her armpits 15 years ago. After her first pregnancy, her armpits began to swell and produce 'a milky discharge from the hair follicles covering them.' This condition is present from birth but usually goes unnoticed until hormonal changes, similar to those affecting normal breast tissue, such as puberty or pregnancy, affect it. She didn't experience any other concerning problems, but the congestion in her armpits seemed to worsen with each subsequent child. This phenomenon would disappear once she weaned her child, but it returned after each subsequent pregnancy, prompting her most recent visit to the doctors.
