Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Male Breast Lesions

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Benign Breast Diseases

  • 2189 Accesses

Abstract

Gynaecomastia is a benign enlargement of the male breast due to glandular tissue proliferation manifesting as palpable firm mass. It is the most common reason for men attending the Breast Clinic. Gynaecomastia affects men of all ages. In two separate studies, gynaecomastia was detected in 36 % of healthy young men and 57 % of healthy older men on physical examination (Nuttall 1979) and more than 70 % of hospitalised elderly men (Niewoehner and Nuttal 1984). Autopsy studies reported the presence of gynaecomastia in 40–50 % of unselected cases (Andersen and Gram 1982).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Andersen JA, Gram JB (1982) Male breast at autopsy. Acta Path Microbiol Immunol Scand 90:191–197

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ansstas G, Ansstas M, Griffin GT (2012) Gynecomastia. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/120858-overview

  • Appelbaum AH, Evans GFF, Levy KR et al (1999) Mammographic appearances of male breast disease. Radiographics 19:559–568

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bannayan GA (1982) Hajdu SI (1972) Gynecomastia; clinicopathologic study of 351 cases. Am J Clin Pathol 90:191–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Bembo SA, Carlson HE (2004) Gynecomastia: its features and when and how to treat it. Cleve Clin J Med 71:511–517

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Binder G, Iliev DI, Dufke A et al (2005) Dominant transmission of prepubertal gynecomastia due to serum estrone excess: hormonal, biochemical and genetic analysis in a large kindred. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90:484–492

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boccardo F, Rubagotti A, Battaglia M et al (2005) Evaluation of tamoxifen and anastrazole in the prevention of gynecomastia and breast pain induced by bicalutamidemonotherapy for prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 23:808–815

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Braunstein GD (1993) Gynecomastia. N Eng J Med 328:490–495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chantra P, So G, Wollman J et al. (1995) Mammography of the male breast. AJR 164:853–858

    Google Scholar 

  • Clen S, Begman MJ, Sparkes RS et al (1988) Human aromatase CDNA cloning, southern blot analysis and assignment of the gene to chromosome 15. DNA 7:27–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper R (1994) Mammography in men. Radiology 191:651–656

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Czajka-Oraniec I, Zgliczynski W, Kurylowicz A et al (2008) Association between gynecomastia and aromatase (CYP19) polymorphisms. Eur J Endocrinol 158:721–727

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dershaw D (1986) Male mammography. Am J Roentgenol 146:127–131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dialani V, Baum J, Mehta JS (2010) Sonographic features of gynecomastia. J Ultrasound Med 29:539–547

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Einav-Bachar R, Phillip M, Aurback-Klipper Y et al (2004) Prepubertal gynecomastia: aetiology, course and outcome. Clin Endocrinol 61:55–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glass AR (1994) Gynecomastia. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 23:825–837

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hershkovitz E, Leiberman E (2002) Gynecomastia: a review. Endocrinologist 12:321–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson CT, Malmer B, Wiklund F et al (2006) Breast cancer as a second primary in patients with prostate cancer – oestrogen treatment or association with family history of cancer. J Urol 176:538–543

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Michels L, Gold R, Anat R (1977) Radiography of gynecomastia and other diseases of the male breast. Radiology 122:117–122

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moore GF, Wattenberg CA, Rose DK (1945) Breast changes due to diethylstilbesterol. J Am Med Assoc 127:60–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niewoehner CB, Nuttal FQ (1984) Gynecomastia in hospitalised male population. Am J Med 77:633–638

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Niewoehner CB, Schorer AE (2008) Gynecomastia and breast cancer in men. Br Med J 336:709–713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nuttall FQ (1979) Gynecomastia as a physical finding in normal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 48:338–340

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perdona S, Autorino R, De Placido S et al (2005) Efficacy of tamoxifen and radiotherapy for prevention and treatment of gynecomastia and breast pain caused by bicalutamide in prostate cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Lancet Oncol 6:295–300

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shozu M, Sebastian S, Takayama K et al (2003) Estrogen excess associated with novel gain-of-function mutations affecting the aromatase gene. N Engl J Med 348:1855–1865

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson ER, Clyne C, Rubin G et al (2002) Aromatase – a brief overview. Ann Rev Physiol 64:93–1927

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Struewing JP, Hartge P, Wacholder S et al (1997) The risk of cancer associated with specific mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 among Ashkenazi Jews. N Engl J Med 336:1401–1408

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swerdlow AJ, Schoemarker MJ, Higgins CD et al (2005) Cancer incidence and mortality in men with Klinefelter’s syndrome: a cohort study. J Natl Cancer Inst 97:1204–1216

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Welch ST, Babcock DS, Ballard ET (2004) Sonography of pediatric male breast masses: gynecomastia and beyond. Pediatr Radiol 34:952–957

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wershaw D, Berger P, Weutch B et al (1993) Mammographic findings in men with breast cancer. Am J Roentgenol 160:267–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Princess Elizabeth Hospital Le Vauquiedor St. Martin’s Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK

    Catherine N. Chinyama MBChB(Hons),FRCPath,IFCAP,LLM (Consultant Pathologist, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer)

  2. Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, England UK

    Catherine N. Chinyama MBChB(Hons),FRCPath,IFCAP,LLM (Consultant Pathologist, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer)

Authors
  1. Catherine N. Chinyama MBChB(Hons),FRCPath,IFCAP,LLM
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Chinyama, C.N. (2014). Male Breast Lesions. In: Benign Breast Diseases. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41065-9_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41065-9_15

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-41064-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-41065-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation