The Difference Between True Gynecomastia and Pseudogynecomastia

Are you starting to notice your chest becoming more feminine and shapely? There is a good chance that you could be suffering from gynecomastia. This is a condition where the breast becomes enlarged sometimes to a point where it looks similar to women’s breast. But the reasons why it occur varies, and this is where it is categorized whether it is true gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia.


Why is it important that you should be able to know what kind of gynecomastia that you are suffering from?

This is to determine the appropriate solution so that the problem can be resolved. And to ensure an accurate diagnosis, a consultation with your primary care physician is necessary. But here are some basic information to start you out.

Gynecomastia is a condition where males develop female breasts. Clinical manifestations come in the form of a rubbery or firm mass during palpation which extends outwardly from the center or the nipples. It can either occur on one or both breasts.

True gynecomastia results out of the proliferation of glandular tissue which can affect males of any age, from neonates to adult men. It can either be confined on the area directly beneath the areola or sometimes even extending outward creating a dome-shaped appearance of the nipple or the entire breast. This is the reason why the condition is also dubbed as “puffy nipples”.

A man also suffers from true gynecomastia when he experiences hormonal disturbances. This is usually common in adolescent boys whose hormones are still unstable. But in some cases, for those boys aging 12-18 years old they can be affected by what is called a congenital gynecomastia, which actually affect 30-60% of this population.

 True gynecomastia can also be experienced by bodybuilders and some athletes whose hormones have a risk to go out of balance because of steroid use.

Pseudogynecomastia on the other hand is a type of breast enlargement in males which is caused by excessive fat deposits minus glandular proliferation. It is also called lipomastia and is caused simply by poor lifestyle habits such as uncontrolled dieting and lack of exercise. Men who have this type of gynecomastia are those who are obese.

A simple test can also be done to differentiate true gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia by lying on your back and then placing one hand behind your head. With your thumb and forefinger you place them a full width apart with the areola at the middle. You slowly bring your two fingers together, and when you fill a ridge of glandular tissue which has the same diameter as the areola this is an indicator of real gynecomastia. Whereas in pseudogynecomastia, both fingers won’t meet until they reach the nipple.

For true gynecomastia the treatment usually involve medications such as Gynexin or Gynemax. You can also have gynecomastia surgery to excise the glandular tissue.

With psuedogynecomastia there is no need for invasive treatments but instead do some lifestyle modifications. You can flatten out your chest through dieting and watching what you eat because some foods can trigger the condition. Regular exercise can also do a lot by burning the fats and firming up your chest.

The good thing about both these conditions is that they are benign. But to make sure that this is nothing serious, a doctor’s consult would rule out any malignancies.

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