Male breast development

  Gynecomastia, also known as gynecomastia, is characterized by female-like development and enlargement of one or both breasts, mostly starting in male adolescence or old age. It is generally believed that the cause of gynecomastia is an imbalance in the ratio of sex hormones in the body, resulting in a relatively high concentration of estrogen, which causes hyperplasia of the breast tissue. It is generally considered abnormal in men when breast tissue can be palpated, except in the following cases: transient mastopexy in newborns, enlarged mammary glands during puberty and occasional mastopexy in older men. Men present with unilateral or bilateral palpable breast tissue in the form of disc-shaped nodules or diffuse enlargement, sometimes accompanied by enlarged nipples and areolas.  Localized discomfort or tenderness may be felt, and in a few patients, a small amount of white discharge is seen when the nipple is squeezed. In men with pathological gynecomastia caused by organic disease, there should also be clinical manifestations of the primary disease. The incidence of the disorder is higher in the normal population. It can be divided into primary gynecomastia and secondary gynecomastia. Primary gynecomastia is mostly temporary and usually fades away on its own. For secondary gynecomastia, the symptoms are obvious, as well as adolescent breast enlargement does not recede for a long time, which can easily cause patients to develop low self-esteem, affect daily communication, psychological stress can lead to depression, adolescent patients with a large psychological burden, affecting academic performance, and the risk of cancer.  The first step in diagnosis is to determine if the breast tissue is real. Mammary gland development in men should be a palpable piece of firm breast tissue under the areola with a free base and >2 cm in diameter. mammography or ultrasonography can distinguish between fat and breast tissue. The next step is to rule out breast cancer. Carcinoma occurs slightly more frequently in men with gynecomastia than in normal men, with an incidence of about 0.4%. If the surface of breast tissue is not smooth, irregular in growth and hard in texture, it often indicates early stage cancer, and local ulcers or enlarged adjacent lymph nodes are signs of advanced breast cancer.  Treatment methods: (a) Etiological treatment: Testicular tumor, hyperthyroidism and liver disease should be treated according to their causes. For gynecomastia caused by exogenous estrogen or drugs, the relevant drugs should be discontinued.  (ii) Drug treatment: triamcinolone and methandrostenolone can relieve pain and subside the lump in some patients.  (iii) Surgical treatment: For those who have obvious lump pain, ineffective medication, or whose breast hypertrophy obviously affects their appearance, surgical treatment can be used. The procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia with a curved incision in the areola. The skin is incised, the periareolar fascia is penetrated, the hypertrophic breast tissue is removed, negative pressure drainage is placed, and the skin is sutured. After surgery, the thorax is dressed with pressure and the negative pressure drainage is removed in 2-3 days. For simple fat increase, fat aspiration is feasible.  Our burn plastic surgery department has rich experience in treating gynecomastia and has the following advantages: 1. accurate diagnosis and positioning, 2. small and hidden surgical incision, 3. short operation time and fast recovery, 4. good postoperative aesthetic effect.