Dorsal ectopic breast—a cutaneous marker of occult spinal dysraphism

Abstract

Ectopic breasts represent uncommon medical anomalies characterized by the presence of additional breasts situated outside the typical milk line. In this case report, we present a case encompassing dorsal ectopic breasts accompanied by three nipples. A 14-year-old teen girl presented with a significant dorsal mass, exhibiting no clinical manifestations except mild pain and a sense of heaviness. She underwent investigations, and a magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a large, inadequately encapsulated congenital mass with a fatty composition, alongside intraspinal epidural engagement and a bony structure bridging the spinous processes from the C6 to the T3 vertebral bodies. She subsequently underwent excision of the entire mass. The histopathological analysis identified the presence of a mammary hamartoma. Follow-up at 2 weeks postoperatively showed that there were no further complications. Dorsal ectopic breast necessitates careful and comprehensive evaluation to either confirm or exclude the presence of occult spinal dysraphism prior to intervention to avoid complications.