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Gynecomastia

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Abstract

The term gynaecomastia refers to the appearance of breast-like tissue in males. It is caused by a benign proliferation of the glandular component of male breast tissue. It is common in infancy, adolescence, and in adulthood from middle age onwards. Most commonly caused by increased oestrogen, decreased androgen, or the use of numerous medications, gynaecomastia can be unilateral or bilateral and presents as a rubbery or firm mass extending concentrically from beneath the nipple–areolar complex. Pseudogynaecomastia, often seen in obesity, refers to accumulation of fat in the breast region without the glandular proliferation.

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Correspondence to Tim Goodacre .

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Goodacre, T., McCoubrey, G. (2018). Gynecomastia. In: Ledbetter, D., Johnson, P. (eds) Endocrine Surgery in Children. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-54256-9_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-54256-9_29

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