Male Boobs: Embarrassing but harmless Part 5

Medical conditions which have been associated with Gynecomastia include:

- In children the most common condition known to cause gynecomastia is
kleinfelter’s. This is a genetically acquired condition which is
diagnosed in early childhood. The breast enlargement unfortunately
is persistent and does not always resolve.

- Pituitary failure: In some cases, the pituitary gland may fail and
there is failure to make hormones. This leads to a lack of the male
hormones. The condition is rare but can be treated with hormonal
supplements

- Obesity. In obese individual there is a lot of excess fat. The excess
fat contains a lot of cholesterol which is a precursor chemical for
the female sex hormones- and it is for this reason that many obese
individuals develop female characteristics

- Some cancers are known to generate precursors for the synthesis of
the female sex hormones. These cancers are generally lung, testes and
adrenal.

- Liver and Kidney Failure- when the liver fails, there is an accumulation
of the female sex hormone. This is due to the liver’s inability to
breakdown this hormone. So the excess hormone is known to cause
Gynecomastia

- In some individuals, an excess of the thyroid hormone may be responsible
for the condition

- Starvation is a common cause of gynecomastia in children. This condition
is typically seen in Africa where poverty is endemic.