adolescent gynecomastia: in about 15 percent of boys at
puberty, the growth of
glandular tissue and enlargement of the
breasts in response to the
hormones of puberty. Typically the enlargement is minimal and self-correcting, but in rare cases resembles that of a girl and requires corrective plastic surgery (
mastectomy). The etiology, though obscure, is attributed either to an atypical utilization of the low level of estrogen normally produced by the
testicles of the male, or to an atypical resistance to the counteracting effect of
testosterone.
Dictionary of Sexology Project: Main Index