Gynecomastia is best defined as which of the following?

Gynecomastia is best defined as which of the following?

• A. Inflammation of epididymis of testis
• B. Suspended testis from its vascular structures
• C. Bilateral or unilateral enlargement of breast in adolescent boys
• D. Elongation and dilation of the veins of the spermatic cord

Answer: (C)

Gynecomastia is enlargement of breast tissue in adolescent boys, usually due to hormonal changes during puberty that create a temporary surplus of estrogen effect on the breast. This results in proliferation of glandular tissue and can be bilateral or, less commonly, unilateral. It’s typically self-limited as puberty progresses over months to a couple of years. The other options describe conditions unrelated to breast tissue: inflammation of the epididymis is epididymitis; a description involving the testis’s vascular support points to testicular problems such as torsion or other descent issues; and dilation of the veins in the spermatic cord refers to a varicocele. None of these involve growth of breast tissue, so they don’t define gynecomastia. Therefore, the best definition is the enlargement of breast tissue in adolescent boys.

Gynecomastia is enlargement of breast tissue in adolescent boys, usually due to hormonal changes during puberty that create a temporary surplus of estrogen effect on the breast. This results in proliferation of glandular tissue and can be bilateral or, less commonly, unilateral. It’s typically self-limited as puberty progresses over months to a couple of years.

The other options describe conditions unrelated to breast tissue: inflammation of the epididymis is epididymitis; a description involving the testis’s vascular support points to testicular problems such as torsion or other descent issues; and dilation of the veins in the spermatic cord refers to a varicocele. None of these involve growth of breast tissue, so they don’t define gynecomastia.

Therefore, the best definition is the enlargement of breast tissue in adolescent boys.