HORMONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF IDIOPATHIC GY NECOMASTIA - REPORT OF 488 CASES

Gynecomastia, a very frequent disorder, is present in almost 40 % of y oung men. In this population the investigations often fail to find any aetiology, therefore defining idiopathic gynecomastia. The aim of thi s work is to compare clinical and hormonal characteristics of 488 subj ects with gynecomastia to 41 healthy controls. Their are many explanat ions for the occurrence of idiopathic gynecomastia, including modifica tion of hormonal balance, change of aromatase activity, or a receptor anomaly. Our works demonstrate a significant decrease in mean testoste ronemia, linked to a high prevalence of incipient hypogonadism in the studied population, especially in patients with an history of testicul ar disease.