Gynecomastia - Topic Overview

SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS

What is gynecomastia?

GynecomastiaClick here to see an illustration. is overdevelopment of the male breast. The glandular tissue of the breast swells, usually in response to an excess of the female hormone estrogen or a lack of testosterone, a male hormone. It occurs in babies, teen boys, and older men.

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. In a few cases, it has been linked to regular use of lavender or tea tree oil in certain lotions or oils.1 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 more than 60% of boys in early puberty to middle puberty. It goes away in 70% of boys within 1 year and 90% of boys in 2 years.

When gynecomastia occurs in adult males, it is usually caused by another condition, such as liver or lung cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, overactive thyroid, or by hormone problems, such as cancer of the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, or testicles. Alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin use also may cause gynecomastia.

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).
  • Products containing tea tree oil or lavender oil.1

What are the symptoms?

In addition to having enlarged breasts, men or boys with gynecomastia may notice their breasts feel rubbery or firm. Boys may have a breast bud on one or both sides about the size of a nickel or quarter. Breast buds are common in adolescent boys during puberty. They may last up to 2 years, but they tend to go away within the first year.

How is gynecomastia diagnosed?

Gynecomastia can usually be diagnosed from a physical examination and medical history. In most cases, tests are not necessary. But if the breast lump is unusually large, one-sided, tender, or hard and fixed, a biopsy may be done to rule out other problems.

Any man who finds a one-sided breast lump should let his doctor know if he has close relatives who have had breast cancer (mother, sister, or daughter). If there is any concern about cancer, a lump can be checked with a biopsy or surgery.

How is it treated?

Gynecomastia in babies and teens normally does not require treatment and will usually go away on its own. If caused by medicine or disease, stopping the medicine or treating the disease will often cure the gynecomastia. If caused by a lack of testosterone and increase in estrogen, hormonal treatment may be prescribed.

By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: January 20, 2010
Medical Review: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

Advertisement
Care Circle

It Seems That You Are Not Logged In...

OR

Join Now

Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:

  1. Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
  2. Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
  3. Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.

The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.

How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?

Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.

How do I save content to my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.

How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.

How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.

See All News

Advertisement