Breast malformations

Congenital malformations of the female breast often develop during puberty. They can occur unilaterally or bilaterally and often lead to considerable psychological stress and feelings of inferiority in the women concerned.
In addition to disorders in sexual development, postural damage can also occur with long-term orthopedic diseases.

Common questions

• The most common malformations of the breast
• The most common malformations of the nipple
• How are congenital breast malformations treated?
• When is the right time for a correction?

The most common malformations of the breast:

• Amastia: Absence of the breast and nipple.
• Polymastia: Additional breast tissue present elsewhere.
• Asymmetry: The breasts are unevenly large. Almost every woman has a low level of inequality. An asymmetry with disease value is often visible even when clothed and causes bad posture and back problems. Many of the malformations mentioned below also involve an asymmetry.
• Tubular breast: Also known as the “tube breast.” The breast is not round but tubular, and the nipples are widened. Often, glandular tissue is only present in the upper chest area; the so-called “lower gland quadrants” are partially or completely missing. In many cases, only one breast is affected; then, there is also an asymmetry.
• Poland syndrome: Total or partial absence of the breast with a simultaneous absence of the pectoralis major muscle. The nipple is usually developed normally. Since Poland syndrome almost always only affects one side, there is also an asymmetry.
• Amazon syndrome: A breast is completely or partially missing. The nipple and pectoral muscles are normal. Since here almost always only one side is affected, there is also an asymmetry.

The most common malformations of the nipple:

• Athelia: The nipple is completely missing. It is possible to surgically create a deceptively real-looking nipple. But you cannot breastfeed with this nipple. For more information, see Nipple Reconstruction.
• Polythelia: There are too many nipples. In this case, however, the nipple can be easily removed. A small scar remains at this point, which will fade over time.
• Inverted nipples: The nipple has pulled in and is difficult or impossible to pull out. Conservative methods, such as piercings or nipple shapers, often only achieve minor or short-term improvements. During the surgical correction, the too-short mammary gland ducts, which are responsible for the retraction in most cases, are cut. However, after this operation, this nipple can no longer be used for breastfeeding. Recurrences are rare, but not completely excluded.

How are congenital breast malformations treated?

In the calm, relaxed atmosphere of our practice in Cham, the patient can confide in me in a personal consultation and talk openly about her problems. There are many different types of breast malformations. Which treatment makes the most sense in an individual case can only be seen in a personal conversation with a subsequent breast examination. We discuss all options with the patient and plan the individual treatment process.
In most cases, breast malformations can be corrected using shape and size corrections, i.e., they can be corrected well and permanently with a breast lift, enlargement with implant or autologous fat, or reduction.

When is the right time for a correction?

Since malformations are emotionally very stressful for the women concerned and the development of postural defects must be prevented, the correction should be carried out soon after the breast growth is complete. Depending on the findings and the level of suffering, it may even make sense in individual cases to correct the deformity as soon as it occurs during puberty, in order to enable the girl to develop normally, both socially and physically. Nevertheless, it should be noted whether a possible correction could have an impact on the patient’s ability to breastfeed.

In these medical cases, I am happy to help you write a letter for your health insurance company.