Middle-aged man suddenly discovered he had gynecomastia

For many years, Mr. NVT (52 years old) has always been self-conscious and insecure because of his unusually large breasts. At the hospital, the doctor diagnosed him with gynecomastia.

Người đàn ông bị nữ hóa tuyến vú - Ảnh 1. — Doctors at Hoe Nhai General Hospital (Hanoi) perform surgery on a patient with gynecomastia - Photo: Provided by the hospital

Self-consciousness due to abnormally large breasts

On October 27, Dr. Nguyen Minh Nghia - in charge of the cosmetic surgery department, Hoe Nhai General Hospital (Hanoi), informed that the hospital had just successfully performed surgery on a man with female-like breasts.

According to the doctor, Mr. NVT (52 years old, Hanoi) came to the clinic because his breasts had been abnormally large for many years. He often felt very uncomfortable and embarrassed in his daily life, unable to go shirtless or wear T-shirts or shirts because of his "big breasts". This greatly affected his psychology.

At the hospital, the doctor tested hormones to assess the disorder, in addition to testing liver and kidney function. The patient underwent an ultrasound and the doctor noticed the development of breast tissue, diagnosing Mr. T. with idiopathic gynecomastia.

The doctors advised mastectomy and liposuction to flatten the chest and reduce the nipples. The patient wanted nipple reduction, not to flatten the chest because his breasts were not sagging and did not affect his appearance too much.

"The patient underwent a 2-axis nipple reduction surgery, the surgery took 30 minutes. Currently, the patient's health is stable after surgery," said Dr. Nghia.

What is gynecomastia?

According to Dr. Nghia, gynecomastia is an increase in the amount of breast tissue in men, caused by an imbalance between the two hormones estrogen and testosterone.

This condition can occur in one or both breasts, sometimes unevenly. Gynecomastia is not the same as the normal increase in fatty tissue in the breasts, also known as pseudogynecomastia.

When suffering from gynecomastia, men may have some symptoms such as: breasts larger than normal; breast pain (common in adolescents); swelling of breast tissue; breast pain when touched; nipple sensitivity when rubbed against clothing.

Natural hormonal changes can cause gynecomastia in older men. This condition typically occurs in three stages.

Newborn: About 60-90% of male newborns have gynecomastia due to high estrogen levels transmitted from the mother's blood through the placenta. However, it usually resolves within 2-3 weeks after birth.

Puberty: 48-69% of people experience this condition, due to hormonal imbalances during puberty. However, in most cases, it will disappear after 12-24 months.

Middle age: When men reach the age of 50-80, they experience gynecomastia.

According to Dr. Nghia, some drugs can cause gynecomastia, such as the use of anabolic steroids, which is common in some athletes.

Some herbs have been shown to be related to this disease such as lavender oil and tea tree oil which contain estrogen-like and weak anti-androgen elements, Tribulus terrestris which contains medicinal properties used to replace anabolic androgens or Dong-quai or Angelica varsinensis which treats gynecological disorders and contains phyto-estrogens...

"25% of gynecomastia patients have no known cause. Gynecomastia is usually benign and can occur in one or both breasts, sometimes unevenly," said Dr. Nghia.

In most cases during puberty, enlarged breast tissue can disappear without treatment within 6 months to 2 years. However, abnormally large breasts cause psychological self-esteem and body image complexes in men.

Treatments for this condition include hormonal medications, testosterone replacement, or surgery...

In particular, surgery is often performed through an incision around the areola, helping to increase aesthetics, quick post-operative recovery time, less pain for the patient, and early discharge from the hospital.

Doctor Nghia also recommends that when men see unusual symptoms, they should go to specialized medical facilities for timely examination, consultation and treatment.