What is gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is the presence of mammary gland in the male. The boy consults his parents because of the presence of a lump behind the areola that is usually painful. We recommend a visit with a specialist to determine the cause of this lump. It is usually the presence of mammary gland and a hormonal study is done. The evolution may be that it settles, stabilizes and remains a small size that with the passage of time usually disappears, but there are cases where it does not disappear and then it can even grow. In the case that it increases in size what we recommend is a surgical treatment.
What are the causes of this pathology?
The causes of gynecomastia can be divided into 3 groups. The first one would be the one that appears in the pubertal age. During the embryonic stage, in the embryonic period, the mammary bud develops. If the embryo evolves to female sex this mammary bud persists, if the embryo evolves to male sex this mammary bud atrophies. When puberty arrives, the appearance of new hormones can activate this mammary bud and a mammary gland appears in the boy. The evolution can be that this mammary gland persists, that it increases in size or, most commonly, that it reaches a point where it atrophies and disappears.
The second cause would be due to disease. Diseases such as cirrhosis, such as hyperthyroidism, can lead to the appearance of a mammary gland. And lastly, certain chemical compounds such as estrogens, testosterone, digoxin or the consumption of marijuana can cause the appearance of gynecomastia.
How can it be treated?
If the cause of gynecomastia is due to disease we recommend medical treatment that solves the problem. The surgery is performed under general anesthesia, we make a small cut in the lower half of the areola and remove the excess mammary gland. Recovery is usually very fast, we advise the use of a girdle and the result is satisfactory.