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Glite Dictionary
amastia

amastia

9.9
A condition in which someone does not have breasts either from birth or after surgery
  • noun
  • /əˈmæstiə/
  • Specialized
: amastia
  • Some patients develop amastia following certain cancer treatments.

Examples

  • The surgeon explained that amastia can result from congenital conditions.

  • Treatment options for amastia include reconstructive surgery.

  • She was diagnosed with amastia at a young age.

  • The doctor explained that amastia can occur due to genetic factors.

  • Some patients develop amastia after surgery to remove breast tissue.

  • The surgeon explained that amastia may occur due to a developmental defect.

  • Treatment options for amastia often include consultations on reconstructive surgery.

Surface Forms

amastia singular
amastias plural

Morphology

amastia = am + mast + ia

Although analyzable as the privative prefix 'a-/am-' + the combining form 'mast-' + '-ia', these are specialist/Greek medical elements not transparently meaningful to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Amastia starts with a- meaning 'without' and uses mast meaning 'breast', the same idea behind mammal, which means 'an animal with breasts'. So amastia literally means 'without breasts', which explains its use for the absence of mammary glands.