Is This Gynecomastia

[FrederickLegs]

Hi Guys,
This year I displayed some bravery and asked my doctor to refer me to a psychiatrist as I have ADD, PTSD, depression and Dyslexia. It is very hard to confront these issues. I am 70 now and these conditions caused me grief in school and through work life. I am not stupid though.

In therapy I had to talk about these issues and I found some relief mentally. I was put on medicines to alleviate my problems.
I researched the drugs I was taking and found out about this thing called Gynecomastia. Breast growth in males, I took notice.

At the beginning of 2022 I had done a physical stress test. It involved running on a treadmill hooked up to cardio monitoring equipment.
The speed and inclination on the track are increased until you reach a predetermined heart rate. I did very well but during the run a sensor jumped off my left breast from near the nipple. The supervisor tried to put it back a couple of times but it would not stay. I noticed that my chest was "lively".
At home on my treadmill I took note of my chest action. It was and is, lively. Nipples travelling through 4 inches from top to bottom and also moving side to side.

I watched my chest without a shirt on whilst walking around, going up and down stairs etc. They were very lively.

I felt heavy rubbery nodular mass in my breasts.

I determined that I must have gynecomastia.
Anyway I finally got the courage to ask my doctor about it and he was concerned enough to sent me for an Ultrasound examiination.

I was certain that the test would show that I had it. We got the results today and gynecomastia was not mentioned. There was nothing malicious lurking in them though.

The following is quoted from the report:

Palpable  lump  on  the  left  breast
COMPARISON : Nil.
FINDINGS :
Ultrasound: Bilateral  retroareolar  fibroglandular  breast  tissue,  left  more  than the  right.  No  suspicious  lesions.
COMMENT : No  sinister  features  on  ultrasound.


I am at a loss now. I do not no what I have.

It would be lovely if someone is this community could elucidate this matter for me.

FrederickLegs is not my real name, it was the name of a cattledog of ours who had very long legs as a pup. He grew into them.

My name is Geoff and I have gained a lot from associating, although quietly, with members of this community.

Thank you,
Geoff.

[Normal boobs1]

As a retired advanced practioner in ultrasound, I would say up front that ultrasound is not a 100% diagnostic tool and reports are largely descriptive.
That said, the language  used in your report suggests nothing concerning has been found and that areas  behind the areola are consistent with normal actual breast tissue. In males this will be called gynecomastia, which is not a medical condition. It is a term for larger than average normal breasts in males and is of no more significance than small breasts in a female. 
It is especially common in older men as testerone levels often fall quite naturally leaving oestrogen to have its way with our body's shape.
In short you have Gynecomastia (if you must have a label) - Welcome to the club. We are all here to support you in any way we can because we have all needed it ourselves. 
I hope this puts your mind at rest.

[FrederickLegs]

Thank you for the explanation. I did not realise that gynecomastia was not a medical term. My head cleared when I read your reply.
If my doctor had told me that, I would not have left his surgery totally confused.

This shows a true power of the internet. A power for good. I live in Sydney, Australia and you are somewhere else in the world.

Thank you again,

Geoff

[Normal boobs1]

Just to clarify. Gynecomastia IS a medical term but is NOT  a disease
process
It is convenient shorthand description of normal (but above average) size  breasts in males.
Most sonographers here in UK would merely report. NAD (no abnormality detected) l guess the extended report you have received was clarifying that what you  can feel has been seen and identified as normal breast tissue

Glad to help

[FrederickLegs]

Thank you again.
Now all I have to do explain this to my wife.

[oldguy]

Thank you again.
Now all I have to do explain this to my wife.

Geoff,

I'm 72, and was diagnosed with Gynecomastia shortly after I retired 11 years ago.  My doctor mentioned surgery, but believed that there was more risk with it than worth it.  It was more pronounced in my left breast.  Then two years ago, my right breast was bigger. 

When I was first diagnosed, his Physician Assistant was a women.  She suggested that I would be more comfortable wearing a bra.  And wrote a note to my wife recommending that I have support.  My wife comes from a medical family and didn't blink an eye.  She went out and bought me compression vests.  Bigger than life vest.  I thanked her for trying and purchased 3 sports bras which worked for several years.  As my chest grew, I purchased 3 wire free bras which were much more comfortable.  Still use the sports bras while exercising.

Most of the posters believe that underwire bras are more comfortable than wire free.  I'm worried about projection, but figure I'll give one a try.  We've been married 52 years.  A little thing like breasts and bras isn't going change anything for us.

[Normal boobs1]

I dreaded having the conversation with my wife. After her shock and sleeping on it overnight she has been nothing but unbelievable supportive.
I had previously made covert doctors visits and was armed with his advice. Medical Options were.
1 Put up with it and just tolerate the soreness and general discomfort.
2. Surgery expensive, unnecessary and not guaranteed to  prevent regrowth
3 Hormonal treatment which he described as fool hardy and not without definitely harmful health risk

As I was getting up to leave he casually mentioned that he knew his female colleague would recommend a well refined a tested solution that women had proven to work over a long period of time.  Enter "the bra".

He described it as the only sensible option.
I took his advice. 
The rest is history.

[aboywithgirls]

I dreaded having the conversation with my wife. After her shock and sleeping on it overnight she has been nothing but unbelievable supportive.
I had previously made covert doctors visits and was armed with his advice. Medical Options were.
1 Put up with it and just tolerate the soreness and general discomfort.
2. Surgery expensive, unnecessary and not guaranteed to  prevent regrowth
3 Hormonal treatment which he described as fool hardy and not without definitely harmful health risk

As I was getting up to leave he casually mentioned that he knew his female colleague would recommend a well refined a tested solution that women had proven to work over a long period of time.  Enter "the bra".

He described it as the only sensible option.
I took his advice.
The rest is history.

I was younger when I learned of the benefits of wearing a bra. However the circumstances were similar. At 12 years old, I started blossoming 🌸. I was introduced to wearing a bra by my mother. I think it was about a month later that she took me to be evaluated by our doctor who said that it was too early to do any medical or surgical interventions.

Now, over 30 years later, as a woman of transgender experience, I'm very happy and grateful for having them.

♥️Sophie♥️

[FrederickLegs]

When I first started researching gynecomastia I told my wife about gyno. and that maybe I had . She thought that there had been no change in my chest that she had noticed.
However I had been concerned that my nipples were no longer over my pectorals, about 2 inches lower.

I had the ultrasound and it showed that I had it. I did not tell my wife on the day but I did say that I needed to talk to her about something (medical), to prime her for some news.
The following day as we sat having morning tea, looking up the bay from our front deck I told her.
I did not even have to ask her how she felt, she stated straight away that it made no difference to her. We then discussed it in detail.

So that is that. Life goes on but now with a bit more drama. At 70 there is no point in having surgery. I probably would not if I was younger either.
So, what will gyno. do to me now. I suppose my next post will be in "Acceptance".

Thank you all for your replies,

Geoff

[Normal boobs1]

Hi Geoff
I am glad your "conversation" went well. Wives are often more perceptive than we give them credit  for - saying that she hadn't noticed much could be a tactful way from  her side of  not wanting to hurt your feelings until knowing where you were in your feelings.
As with you nipple size and movement were a factor - my wife had apparently noticed me subconsciously holding my chest when running for buses and coming downstairs long before I started being aware of any discomfort.
You ask "What next".  - nothing if you have no concerns but further help is available in abundance on the acceptance side if you have mental of physical questions. Using the search feature will turn up an abundance of wisdom. Starting a thread is much better or pm someone if you want some sort of conversation.

There are a lot of deeply held opinions - do not "swallow things whole". Ultimately we all need to find our own path. A loving partner is a gem.
I am 76 now and we have just celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary. Gynecomastia was never going to destroy the relationship - just one of the waves on the great sea of our lives. We have survived far worse

David

[Gino]

Funny, when my areola started to bud and after my subsequent mammogram the radiologist who read the results met with me (odd because they generally send a report to the referring physician) said I had gynecomastia and briefly outlined my options should they continue to grow. That's more than my GP did! 

[Normal boobs1]

Gino, you must have struck lucky with the radiologist. Historically most of the medics that go into the speciality do so because they realise or are told that their bedside manner sucks. 
In UK many avoid interventional exams to avoid patient contact and are quite happy to sit in an office and report on images taken by us radiographers. 

[Brdy64]

Gino, you must have struck lucky with the radiologist. Historically most of the medics that go into the speciality do so because they realise or are told that their bedside manner sucks.
In UK many avoid interventional exams to avoid patient contact and are quite happy to sit in an office and report on images taken by us radiographers.

I can't get a strait answer out of either my doctor or the Breast center that did my mammograms. 
All my mammograms say "scattered fibroglandular density", as well as describing the flame shaped gynecomastia growths starting behind the nipples.
It's my understanding that us men don't normally have fibroglandular tissue, we just normally get the gynecomastia. 
The breast center just said to review my medications with my doctor about it, and my doctor said it's do to gynecomastia and might have a little to do with my meds as well. But that my meds are well prescribed and can't be changed. 

[Rich meier]

one time i had a chest xray and my nipples showed up as white spots as they are very hard and promenent. they redid it with markers and every thing was ok

[HeldUp]

Gino, you must have struck lucky with the radiologist. Historically most of the medics that go into the speciality do so because they realise or are told that their bedside manner sucks.
In UK many avoid interventional exams to avoid patient contact and are quite happy to sit in an office and report on images taken by us radiographers.

I can't get a strait answer out of either my doctor or the Breast center that did my mammograms.
All my mammograms say "scattered fibroglandular density", as well as describing the flame shaped gynecomastia growths starting behind the nipples.
It's my understanding that us men don't normally have fibroglandular tissue, we just normally get the gynecomastia.
The breast center just said to review my medications with my doctor about it, and my doctor said it's do to gynecomastia and might have a little to do with my meds as well. But that my meds are well prescribed and can't be changed.

It's my understanding that fibroglandular tissue is proof of gynecomastia, if you didn't have breast tissue it would be "pseudogynecomastia". Both present as breast enlargement, however.

Essentially that scattered rating is the tissue density of a breast, which can range from mostly adipose to mostly dense breast tissue. About 80% of women are in the scattered to "balanced"/heterogeneous density ranges.

Don't take my word for it though, here's what Mayo has to say about it: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mammogram/in-depth/dense-breast-tissue/art-20123968