Endocrine Abstracts

Breast development in boys and men, gynaecomastia, is a common condition. The incidence peaks three times through life: neonatally in the first weeks after birth; pubertally, usually around genital stage 3 to 4 and in adulthood with increasing incidence after the age of 50 years.

Using a standardized diagnostic approach a cause for gynaecomastia developed in adulthood can be detected in the majority of men, and gynaecomastia may be the first presenting symptom of an underlying treatable pathology. The Copenhagen experience is that when excluding men where gynaecomastia developed due to abuse of anabolic steroids, an underlying reason might be detected in up to 70% of the remaing men; in ~30% it was due to medical treatment due to comorbities, in ~30% it was due to testosterone deficiency and in another 10% it was due to other treatable caused. Furthermore, more than one reason was present in many and a diagnostic approach ought to take that into account. The results emphasize the importance of a thorough andrological–endocrinological examination in patients presenting with gynaecomastia.