Gynaecomastia: aetiology and treatment options

This paper reviews the aetiology, prevalence and treatment of gynaecomastia . Gynaecomastia is a proliferation of male breast tissue apparently caused by alterations in the ratio of oestrogen:androgen levels. It is common in t he general population, resulting from normal physiological changes and vari ous pathological causes. Gynaecomastia is also induced by many drug treatme nts, including hormonal therapies for prostate cancer. Prophylactic radioth erapy appears to be effective against gynaecomastia in this population. Sur gery is an option for intractable cases, and some medical treatments have b een reported, although there is a paucity of data evaluating such therapies .