Gynecomastia
Definition
Gynecomastia is a common disease of the male breast where there is a benign glandular enlargement of that breast at some time in the male's life. It usually consists of the appearance of a flat pad of glandular tissue beneath a nipple which becomes tender at the same time. The development may be unilateral or bilateral. There is rarely a continued growth of the breast tissue; ordinarily the process is of brief duration and stops short of the production of permanent enlargement of the breast.
Causes
A great number of patients who suffer from this disease have a disturbance in the proper ratio of androgen and estrogen levels. The normal ratio of the two hormones in plasma is approximately 100:1. "The etiology of gynecomastia in patients with a known documented cause appears to be related to increased estrogen stimulation, decreased testosterone levels, or some alteration of the estrogens and androgen so that the androgen-estrogen ratio is decreased"(Williams 373). From this information it was discovered that there is also a lower ratio of weaker adrenal androgens (delta 4-androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone) found in youths with this disease. It was once believed that there was an imbalance in the ratios of testosterone to estrogen or estradiol, but this is now know to be untrue.
There are three areas the can be attributed to the cause of gynecomastia: physiologic, pathologic and pharmacologic. "Enlargement of the male breast can be a normal physiologic phenomenon at certain stages of life or the result of several pathologic states."(Isselbacher, 2037)
In the case of physiologic gynecomastia the disease can occur in a newborn baby, at puberty or at any time in a man's life. In the newborn, transient enlargement of the breast is due to the action of maternal and/or placental estrogens. The enlargement usually disappears within a few weeks. Adolescent gynecomastia is common during puberty with the onset at the median age of 14. It is often asymmetrical and frequently tender.
It regresses so that by the age of 20 only a small number of men have palpable vestiges of gynecomastia in one or both the breasts. Gynecomastia of aging also occurs in otherwise healthy men. Forty percent or more of aged men have gynecomastia. One explanation is the increase in age in the conversion of androgens to estrogens in extra-
glandular tissues. Drug therapy and abnormal liver functioning can also be causes of gynecomastia in older men.
It has been known that when girls, as well as boys reach a certain age they
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As a pediatrician and urologist specifically concentrating on disorders of sexual development (DSD)- “congenital conditions in which the development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical” (Arnold/Saguy, Lecture 11)- every once in a while, a pregnant woman, whose first child is born with congenital androgen hyperplasia (CAH), comes to my office asking for a medicinal point of view on the biological, psychological, and ethical methods of treatment of her second child. Since recent advancements in research on ambiguous genitalia has uncovered several treatments that attempt to prevent certain disorders of sexual development in children, the woman comes in for insight on a steroid treatment specifically to avoid her second child developing ambiguous genitalia.
After learning of the negative consequences that may, and probably will arise from breast implants, it is surprising that so many women are still getting them. It is major surgery and the benefits of having larger breast is not worth the unnecessary chance of death or serious pain for life. More work needs to be done on the study of breast implants because women need to know what they are putting in their bodies. Breast implant manufacturers need to be held responsible, and plastic surgeon should be required to make sure every woman is fully aware of all the possible side effects before she has any type of surgery done.
It is associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complications and certain ovarian cancers. Due to the importance of this condition, it is critical that patients understand its causes, symptoms, and treatment. By the end of this article, you will have the answers to these essential questions:
Associating hormones with a certain gender can be a bit of a misnomer, as women also make testosterone, although in much smaller amounts. Likewise, the liver converts some of a man’s testosterone and fat tissue into estrogen.
Sharpe, Richard M. and Niels Skakkebaek. 1993. Are oestrogens involved in falling sperm counts and disorders of the male reproductive tract? Lancet
We have all heard stories of a friend or family member trying to conceive but failing at it for unknown reasons. They spend years, thousands of dollars and many tears only to still not conceive. Then, the woman is finally given the diagnosis of endometriosis. Based on statistical evidence and studies endometriosis is the leading cause of infertility in woman of reproductive age. Not only is it a devastating diagnosis but also an extremely hard disease to diagnosis. At times getting misdiagnosed and ignored by medical professionals. Leading to more years of pain for the woman suffering from a very debilitating disease.
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A deeper understanding of the mechanism through which testosterone alters growth of myocytes would allow researchers to potentially employ a treatment with the same efficacy but without the side effects. It is likely that the aging population will suffer from
One of the biggest benefits Winstrol pills is that they don’t turn into estrogen like other steroids can. When there is too much estrogen in the body, men often develop gynecomastia,
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