Man boobs? Also known as Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia means that the breast of a man grows like a woman.
If you have gynecomastia, even though you exercise to grow your chest muscles, your chest muscles do not grow well.
Clinical findings include rubbery or firm mass extending concentrically from the nipple.
Sometimes, there is a possibility of pseudo-gynecomastia.
In this case, there occur fat deposition without glandular proliferation.
Human Mammary Gland
Now, let’s look at the creation of bloated chest. If it is a gynecomastia, when will the breasts grow?
In fact, Before birth, breast tissue is the same in both men and women. But estrogen stimulates breast tissue and also androgen antagonizes these effects. And puberty in boys temporarily proliferates the ducts and stroma. Soon afterwards, the duct was degenerated
However, in the case of the gynecomastia, uniformity and bilateral breasts become enlarge.
Sometimes it is accompanied by breast pain and breast lump.
But, don’t worry.
Most are benign, and for men, breast cancer is very rare.
It is less than 0.005% of all malignancies in men, and also only 1% of all breast cancers.
There is the case of Pseudogynecomastia
Sometimes there are fatty proliferation of the breasts, without proliferation of glandular tissue.
It is very difficult to distinguish from normal male breast on mammography. It can be diagnosis requires clinical correlation with breast enlargement.
Normal gynecomastia refers to the overgrowth of fat tissue and mammary gland tissue. Pseudogynecomastia refers to the state of mostly fat tissue, rather than mammary gland tissue.
As mentioned above, the true gynecomastia and the pseudogynecomastia differ greatly in their cause. In case of false gynecomastia, the fat is caused by the growth of obesity, etc, But in case of true gynecomastia it is the status which mammary gland is overgrowth.
In case of pseudogynecomastia, if there is little or no development of the mammary gland, and only the fat tissue is overdeveloped, symptoms can be improved by exercise or diet.
However, in the case of true gynecomastia, the symptoms cannot be improved by a diet. Developed mammary tissue does not disappear naturally by exercise. In this case, you will be treated surgically.
What is the true reason of gynecomastia?
It is associated with increased levels of estradiol and decreased levels of testosterone.
It is related with physiologic like senescence, puberty, hormonal.
Sometimes, systemic disease like cirrhosis or chronic rental insufficiency might be one of the reason.
The drug use can cause gynecomastia. – Cimetidine, Marijuana, Thiaside diuretics, Omeprazole, Tricyclic antidepresasants, Spironolactone, Diazepam, Anabolic steroids, Exogenouis estrogen can be the reason.
Rarely, Neoplasm might be the main reason, otherwise sometimes it may be unknown.
3 Phase of Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is an enlargement of non-inflammatory male breasts, but may occur at any age. Particularly, there are three kinds as follows.
- At Birth: In neonates, cause is typically associated with maternal hormones.
- Puberty: At puberty, condition is idiopathic and transient.
- Old Age: Common causes in adult men include side effect of medications, adrenal or testicular tumors, liver disease, or renal disease.
Digit Ratio
If you have a consultation about the gynecomastia in Evita clinic, We will check your finger length before consultation. That is because the longer your ring finger compared to your index finger the more androgen exposure. Gynecomastia are also deeply related to hormones. If there is an imbalance between the androgen and the estrogen hormone in uterus, it can cause the gynecomastia. That’s why we check the length of the finger before your consultation.
Q&A about gynecomastia
Some Questions About Gynecomastia
Use of Steri-strips After Gynecomastia Surgery
Use of Steri-strips After Gynecomastia Surgery - You can't avoid scarring 100% in surgery through an incision. Even if you perform the surgery in exactly the same way, use the same materials, and suture technique in the same way, the results will vary from person to person.
[FAQ] Childhood obesity and gynecomastia
Usually, 20 to 30% of adolescent males experience temporary enlargement of the mammary glands, but more than 90% of these symptoms disappear within a year. However, factors such as obesity, stress, and drugs are more likely to cause permanent gynecomastia in 10%, so caution is required. Pediatric obesity that occurred as a child does not get better as an adult, but if not properly managed, it can lead to adult obesity and become gynecomastia. In addition, genetic gynecomastia varies from paper to paper, but it is reported to be relatively high at about 30%. However, the gene that causes gynecomastia has not yet been identified, and it is important to note that one of the major causes of gynecomastia is obesity, and this obesity also has a high family history.
Korean health insurance applies to gynecomastia.
Many foreigners residing in Korea are enrolled in the Korean Health Insurance. In the case of gynecomastia of grade 2 or higher, Korean health insurance is applied.
[FAQ] Do protein supplements or alcohol cause gynecomastia?
Protein supplements may also be one of several causes of gynecomastia.
[FAQ] About the grade of gynecomastia
These grade of gynecomastia vary slightly from person to person. The surgical method should be selected according to the patient's age, muscle mass, recovery period, lifestyle, and patient's needs. In this regard, you will consult with a specialist and make a decision.