Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor will ask you questions about your medical and drug history and what health conditions run in your family. The doctor will also do a physical examination that may include careful evaluation of your breast tissue, abdomen and genitals.
Initial tests to determine the cause of your gynecomastia may include:
- Blood tests
- Mammograms
You may need further testing depending on your initial test results, including:
- Chest X-rays
- Computerized tomography (CT) scans
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans
- Testicular ultrasounds
- Tissue biopsies
Conditions that cause similar symptoms
Your doctor will want to be sure your breast swelling is actually gynecomastia and not another condition. Other conditions that can cause similar symptoms include:
- Fatty breast tissue. Some men and boys have chest fat that resembles gynecomastia. This is called false gynecomastia (pseudogynecomastia), and it isn't the same as gynecomastia.
- Breast cancer. This is uncommon in men, but can occur. Enlargement of one breast or the presence of a firm nodule raises the concern for male breast cancer.
- A breast abscess (mastitis). This is an infection of the breast tissue.
References
- Braunstein GD. Causes and evaluation of gynecomastia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 17, 2010.
- Braunstein GD. Management of gynecomastia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 17, 2010.
- Braunstein GD. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of gynecomastia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 17, 2010.
- Fitzgerald PA. Endocrine disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. 50th ed. New York, NY. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=14198. Accessed Oct. 17, 2010.
- Nordt CA, et al. Gynecomastia in adolescents. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2008;20:375.
- Bhasin S, et al. Disorders of the testes and male reproductive system. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2900449. Accessed Oct. 17, 2010.
- Breast reduction for men (gynecomastia). American Society of Plastic Surgeons. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Patients_and_Consumers/Procedures/Cosmetic_Procedures/Breast_Reduction_for_Men.html. Accessed Oct. 17, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on