Armpit or axillary bulges can result from fat deposition or excess breast tissue. Accessory or ectopic breast tissue is most commonly located in the axilla (or armpit region) of female breasts. Accessory axillary breast tissue can occur on just one side or affect both breasts. The ectopic mammary tissue is present from birth, but it often increases in size or becomes noticeable with aging, weight gain or loss, puberty, pregnancy or breast feeding. It is sensitive to changing hormonal levels.
Accessory axillary breast tissue can have more than cosmetic considerations. It can become symptomatic and cause pain, restrict arm movement, increase in size, and undergo the same pathology that occurs in normal breast tissue, including breast cancer.
Currently, treatment of accessory axillary breast tissue is mainly surgical, especially for larger sized areas that are cosmetically obvious or causing symptoms. Surgical treatment involves removal of the accessory breast tissue as a whole unit; this includes the underlying tissue and the covering skin. Axillary accessory breasts can be treated by both excision and/or liposuction