What are the causes of Gynecomastia (male breast enlargement)?
Physiologic Gynecomastia is seen in newborn infants, pubescent adolescents, and elderly individuals. The other causes may include obesity, aging, chronic liver disease. It can be the side effect of some medications such as gonadotropins, clomiphene, phenytoin, and exogenous testosterone – drugs that enhance estrogen synthesis or drugs that inhibit production or action of testosterone such as ketoconazole, metronidazole, alkylating agents, cisplatin, spironolactone, cimetidine, flutamide, finasteride, and etomidate Gynecomastia can also be due to genetic causes. Klinefelter’s Syndrome is one such genetic disorder characterized by abnormal enlargement of one or both breasts in men; hard tiny testicles that never grow, infertility, incomplete masculine body build, height, (6 ft. or more), may not be particularly athletic or co-ordinated.