Definition
Gynecomastia is a benign proliferation of the glandular component of the male breast caused by an increased ratio of estrogen to androgen activity. Gynecomastia can be unilateral or bilateral and consists of a palpable mass of tissue with a diameter of at least 0.5 cm, usually presenting as a disk of tissue underlying the nipple. This condition is diagnosed clinically and radiologically, even if there is no consensus on which method should be used to define gynecomastia. Therefore, a careful history of the patient and a good clinical examination represent the first approach to diagnosis. Radiographic investigations using mammography or ultrasound are recommended to confirm the diagnosis. The severity of gynecomastia can be evaluated by using a four-grade score on the basis of the largest diameter: grade 1, <2 cm; grade 2, 2–4 cm; grade 3, 4–6 cm; and grade 4, >6 cm. Recently, Van Poppel et al. introduced...
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References
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Di Lorenzo, G., Autorino, R. (2014). Gynecomastia. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2540-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2540-2
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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