Accidental gynecomastia in children

Any palpable breast tissue in men is abnormal except during: the neonatal p eriod, adolescence and in elderly age. Gynecomastia in prepubertal children may be due to enhanced endogenous oestrogen production, drugs or unknown c auses. After the onset of puberty gynecomastia may also be due to a deficie ncy of testosterone. Young men and boys are particularly sensitive to oestr ogens and may develop gynecomastia from exposure to industrial oestrogen, t o creams containing oestrogens, to antiandrogens or to unrecognized endocri ne substances. Furthermore gynecomastia and others pubertal disorders in ma les and females may be due to ingestion of food containing oestrogens or oe strogen-like substances; many "epidemics" of gynecomastia among children ha ve been described. Hormones ingested by meat can cause breast enlagement an d other deleterious immediate or long term effects. In particular it is a c ommon concern among paediatricians and endocrine specialists that environme ntal and dietary "contaminants" may interfere with the pubertal development . In the evaluation of all this data we can not ignore the toxic effects of contamination may be having both in the short term but, more particularly, in the long term in terms of morbidity, mortality and therefore social cos ts.