Gynaecomastia or “man boobs”, is a condition where men complain of enlarged breasts (that sometimes cause secretion of milk!), has become a very common problem.    The term comes from the Greek gynae meaning “woman” and mastos meaning “breast”. Gynaecomastia may be present on one side or on both sides and the condition may make the breast(s) tender. Some men and boys have fat on their chests that makes it look like they have breasts. This condition is called pseudogynaecomastia (false gynaecomastia). With an emphasis on the perfect body in today’s world, men with gynaecomastia are often ridiculed by society, which in turn, affects their self-esteem and confidence.

Gynaecomastia is usually diagnosed by examination but occasionally, imaging by X-rays or ultrasound is needed. Blood tests are required to see if there is any underlying disease causing the gynaecomastia. Whether you need tests depends on your age and what your doctor learns from your history and physical examination. Gynaecomastia is common in teenage boys (~65%). If you are a teenager, you probably will not need tests. Your breast enlargement will probably go away on its own in 2 or 3 years. However, younger boys and adult men who have gynaecomastia may need to have some tests. In these cases, it is possible that some kind of disease may be causing the problem.

Some causes for gynaecomastia include:
1) physiological: hormone fluctuations in neonates, puberty, elderly
2) pharmacological: marijuana, steroids, cimetidine
3) pathological: decreased testosterone production, kidney failure, testicular tumours and liver diseases.

Some people are concerned that the breast lump may be cancer. Breast cancer, however, is very rare in males. Lumps caused by cancer in men are usually just underneath the nipple, feel hard, and may also cause dimpling of the skin or a bloody discharge from the nipple. Your doctor will probably be able to tell whether your breast lump is cancer. If there is any question that you have cancer, you will need to have a mammogram and a biopsy.

Some remedies for gynaecomastia include:
1) hormone treatments like testosterone patches or tamoxifen, an oestrogen-inhibiting drug
2) cosmetic surgery can correct this condition depending on the size and composition of the breast.
3) liposuction can be used to remove fatty deposits.
4) compression garments can camouflage the chest deformity and stabilise bouncing tissue bringing emotional relief to some.
5) sometimes the problem can be solved if you stop taking a medicine or using an illegal drug that is causing the problem.
6) if gynaecomastia is caused by a disease or a tumour, this then  will need to be treated.
7) there are also those who choose to live with the condition.

Tags: cosmetic surgery, false gynaecomastia, gynaecomastia, hormone treatments, liposuction, man boobs, moobs, pseudogynaecomastia

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 1:31 am and is filed under Breast, Male breast reduction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.