Gynaecomastie is niet altijd onschuldig

Gynaecomastia can occur in newborn infants, adolescents, and men older than 50 years. In most cases, patients can be reassured and a wait-and-see policy adopted. However, in males in other age groups and with rapid-onset gynaecomastia, there may be an underlying problem. In many cases, drugs, medication, and food supplements are the culprits and patients can be advised to discontinue their use for 1 month; however, further investigations, usually echography of the breast and scrotum, followed by laboratory investigations, are warranted if there are signs of liver, kidney, or thyroid gland disorders, primary or secondary hypogonadism, or, albeit rare, testicular tumour.