Confused

[megadeth502]

Im a 17 years old 5' 8" 140 Pounds (avg weight i would think). I have had a hard bump under my left nipple since i was 13. Is this Gynecomastia, or is gyne just soft breast tissue? The bump recently turned doughnut shaped with the hole being right under the nipple. It is 2 inches in diameter (about double the size of my nipple). It was very sesitive for the first couple of years now its not.

[Paa_Paw]

The condition of Gynecomastia is, to an extent, a self diagnosis. So, in a sense, you have it if you say you do.

What the term usually indicates is that there is a surplus of either glandular or fatty tissue in the breast area. The firm lump you described would most likely be a small mass of glandular tissue. In most cases, there are both glandular and fatty tissue present. As if things were not yet confusing enough, the consistency of the tissues involved can be somewhat variable. What I have said was most likely a small mass of glandular tissue could also be a small hard lump of fat.

The only sure way to know would be to have it excised (cut out) and have a look.

[headheldhigh01]

i think it's pretty objective most of the time.  if you can feel an unusual mass there, especially a dense one, let's say more than pea size, it's not a cyst, it's gyne.  the normal male condition is flat, and we all know what it looks like.   once it turns into a 2 inch donut, it's obvious.  it's not as bad as if it were enough to fill a small bra, but it's a shade of the same thing.  that sounds like it can hide easily, which gives you more freedom, so you just need to decide if you can live with it or not. 

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Would suggest you consult a doctor, particularly one who is knowledgeable in gynecomatia.  Self-diagnosis is not the way to go.

Further, the doctor should be able to provide a definite diagnosis and then recommendations for possible treatment. 

Dr Jacobs