Abstract

The over-all histopathology of 24 specimens of gynecomastia obtained at mastectomy and of 8 specimens obtained at autopsy was found to be related to the duration of the gynecomastia. Irrespective of etiology, gynecomastia of recent onset was generally made up by a vascular fibroblastic stroma with periductal cuffs of loose connective tissue and by actively proliferating ducts. In specimens of gynecomastia of longer duration, including those due to the administration of estrogen, there was progressive fibrosis and hyalinization of the stroma associated with regression of the epithelial proliferation and later with a gradual reduction of the number of ducts. This morphological evolution has been clearly described in experimental animals receiving estrogens but has gone largely unrecognized in the case of human gynecomastia.

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