The
breast of the adult male is similar to the breast of a preadolescent girl.
It consists primarily of a few branching ducts lined by flattened cells
and surrounded by connective tissue. In girls, these cells and ducts develop
in response to hormones secreted during puberty. |
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In males, too, breast tissues are capable of responding to hormonal stimulation. Enlargement of the male breast due to growth of the ducts and supporting tissues is known as gynecomastia. Approximately 40 percent of all adolescent boys experience temporary breast enlargement, probably in response to hormones being secreted by the testes. Adolescent gynecomastia typically disappears within a year or two. |
In older men the growth of breast tissue can be stimulated by several commonly used drugs and a number of diseases. In addition to the hormone estrogen, which is used to treat cancer of the prostate, gynecomastia can be caused by non-hormonal drugs widely prescribed for high blood pressure, migraines, cardiovascular disorders, and seizures. Gynecomastia can also occur in conjunction with cancer of the testes or the adrenal glands and cirrhosisof the liver. The accumulation of fat in obese men can make the breast appear enlarged, but this is not true gynecomastia.
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