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Gynecomastia

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Endocrinology of the Testis and Male Reproduction

Part of the book series: Endocrinology ((ENDOCR))

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Abstract

Gynecomastia – the enlargement of male breast tissue in men – is a relatively common finding, frequently observed in newborns, adolescents, and old men. Physiological gynecomastia, occurring in almost 25% of cases, is benign and self-limited; on the other hand, several conditions and drugs may induce proliferation of male breast tissue. True gynecomastia is a common feature often related to estrogen excess and/or androgen deficiency as a consequence of different endocrine disorders. Nonendocrine illnesses, including liver failure and chronic kidney disease, are another cause of gynecomastia, which should be considered. Due to the diversity of possibly etiologies, including neoplasm, performing a careful history and physical examination is imperative. Once gynecomastia has been diagnosed, treatment of the underlying cause is warranted. If no underlying cause is discovered, then close observation is appropriate. If gynecomastia is severe, however, medical therapy can be attempted and if ineffective, glandular tissue can be removed surgically.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Translational Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy

    Marco Zavattaro

  2. Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, University of Torino, Corso Dogliotti 14, I-10126, Torino, Italy

    Giovanna Motta, Stefano Allasia & Fabio Lanfranco

Authors
  1. Marco Zavattaro
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  2. Giovanna Motta
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  3. Stefano Allasia
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  4. Fabio Lanfranco
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fabio Lanfranco .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Biomedicine, Metabolism and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Modena, Italy

    Manuela Simoni

  2. Dept. of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

    Ilpo Huhtaniemi

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Zavattaro, M., Motta, G., Allasia, S., Lanfranco, F. (2017). Gynecomastia. In: Simoni, M., Huhtaniemi, I. (eds) Endocrinology of the Testis and Male Reproduction. Endocrinology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29456-8_30-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29456-8_30-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29456-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29456-8

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