Gynecomastia Is Overdevelopment Of The Male Breast.
In response to too much estrogen (a female hormone) or too little testosterone (a male hormone), the glandular tissue of the breast swells and forms a breast bud (enlarged breast).
What Are The Symptoms Of Gynecomastia?
Women and young men with gynecomastia may also experience rubbery or firm breasts in addition to enlarged breasts. On one or both sides of the breast, boys may have a breast bud about the size of a nickel or quarter. Adolescent boys often develop breast buds during puberty. Usually, they go away within the first year, but may last for up to two years.
What Causes Gynecomastia?
In newborns, gynecomastia is caused by estrogen from the mother. Breast buds are common in baby boys. Breast buds tend to go away gradually by 6 months of age, but they can last longer in some babies.
In preteen boys, breast buds are common during puberty. The buds may last up to 2 years, but they tend to go away within the first year. Gynecomastia can also be caused by an estrogen-producing tumor.
In teen boys, gynecomastia is caused by the hormonal changes of puberty. Gynecomastia occurs in many boys during early puberty to middle puberty. It usually goes away within 6 months to 2 years.
Most adult males with gynecomastia suffer from another condition, such as liver or lung cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, excessive thyroid activity, or hormone disorders, such as cancer of the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, or testicles.
It is also possible to develop gynecomastia after using alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin. A change in hormone levels can lead to gynecomastia in older males.
Use of certain medicines may also cause gynecomastia, including:
~Steroids, such as prednisone or dexamethasone.
~Medicines used to treat ulcers (such as cimetidine).
~Medicines used to treat epilepsy (such as phenytoin [Dilantin]).
~Digitalis and other heart medicines.
Chemotherapy drugs, especially alkylating agents, a family of anticancer drugs that interfere with cell DNA and inhibit cancer cell growth
~Antiandrogen drugs (such as flutamide, cyproterone, and spironolactone).
~Antianxiety and antidepressant medicines (such as diazepam [Valium] and tricyclic antidepressants).
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A physical exam and medical history are usually sufficient to diagnose gynecomastia. There is usually no need for tests in most cases. To exclude other problems, a biopsy may be necessary if the breast lump is unusually large, one-sided, tender, hard, or fixed.
The doctor should be notified if any of his close relatives (mother, sister, or daughter) suffer from breast cancer. A biopsy or surgery can be used to determine whether a lump is cancerous.
How Is Gynecomastia Treated?
Gynecomastia in babies and teens normally does not require treatment and will usually go away on its own. If it is caused by medicine or disease, stopping the medicine or treating the disease will often cure the gynecomastia.
If it is caused by a lack of testosterone and increase in estrogen, hormonal treatment may be prescribed. Surgery may be a choice for some men if other treatments have not worked.