title: Gynecomastia: evaluation and treatment recommendations for primary care providers.
abstract: Gynecomastia is defined as excessive development of the breast in boys. It is common in neonates and adolescents. Although in most cases this is a transient phenomenon, it might lead to significant social impediments such as decreased participation in physical education because of embarrassment. A primary care provider should be able to diagnose a false gynecomastia, a physiologic gynecomastia, and a gynecomastia with underlying pathology by taking good history, performing a thorough physical examination, and checking few screening laboratory tests. In most cases with physiologic gynecomastia, just reassurance and close follow-up is sufficient; however, psychologic counseling and surgical intervention may be required in few selected cases of physiologic gynecomastia. Suspected cases with underlying pathologic causes should be referred to a pediatric endocrinologist for further evaluation and management. Treatment of underlying causes should resolve the gynecomastia in those patients.
authors.affiliation: Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48210, USA.
authors.forename: Nedim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cakan
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kamat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D000728:Androgens / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006177:Gynecomastia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens