What shows the ultrasound of the mammary glands in men, the evidence for

In healthcare, ultrasound diagnostics has established itself as one of the most informative and available non-invasive methods. For many diseases, ultrasound is the gold standard in diagnosis.

Ultrasound examination of mammary glands in men is not performed as often - in the presence of pathology in the chest. Normally, the mammary glands in men are undeveloped and in an embryonic state. Since in the blood of men there is a small number of female sex hormones( estrogens), development of the mammary glands does not occur.

Indications for ultrasound of the breast gland

Most of the ultrasound of the mammary glands in men is performed when identifying symptoms such as:

• swelling and a significant increase in breast gland;
• pain in the area of ​​the mammary glands;
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• deformation, coarsening and enlarging the nipple and its halos;
• discharge from the nipple, which should not normally be;
• a significant imbalance in the hormonal system in determining the blood test.

The enlargement of the mammary glands in men is called the gynecomastia ( see Figure 1).Gynecomastia can be observed with a significant change in the hormonal background in a man at which an increase in the hormone prolactin in the blood plasma. Gynecomastia can also be observed in the presence of diabetes mellitus. In cases where endocrine pathology is excluded, gynecomastia is observed in inflammatory diseases of the pectoral muscles.

Fig.1 - Normal structure of the breast and gynecomastia.

Ultrasound of the mammary glands in men is used by such specialists as endocrinologist, andrologist, surgeon and oncologist. The value of ultrasonic diagnostics is high due to the accuracy of the pathological process. So timely diagnostics allows at the early stages of the disease to establish a diagnosis and choose the appropriate treatment. Is preparation for the procedure necessary?

The location and structure of the male mammary gland does not raise questions among specialists when performing an ultrasound diagnostic test, and the procedure does not require any specific preparation.

For the procedure, the only contraindication is a gross violation of the integrity of the skin in this area, which can lead to discomfort and pain in its conduct. So, in the presence of wounds and abrasions in the chest area from ultrasound examination of breast glands, it is worthwhile to abstain. In other cases, it can be performed without obstacles and special training.

What does breast ultrasound show?

With the help of ultrasound, almost all the causes of gynecomastia in men can be detected, without the use of additional methods of investigation. So, when determining the ultrasound picture, most often diagnosed are such diseases as:

• true gynecomastia with proliferation of breast tissue;
• dilated ducts of the mammary glands;
• inflammation in the mammary gland;
• nodular, nodular and cystic formations of focal and diffuse nature;
• fibroadenoma;
• adenoma;
• tumor.

Identification of most of the above diseases does not cause doubts in establishing a clinical diagnosis and the formation of treatment tactics. However, in detecting tumor formations, it is important to send the patient to the cancer center to clarify the histological composition of the tumor and the choice of treatment tactics.

The main causes of breast pathology

Most often, gynecomastia in men leads to a hormonal failure, in which the growth of glandular cells of the breast gland and the expansion of the thoracic ducts. When carrying out ultrasonic diagnostics, such processes are easily detected and allow to determine the degree of glandular proliferation.

If gynecomastia is not associated with endocrine pathology, the increase in the breast is due to an increase in the proportion of subcutaneous fat. The increase in subcutaneous fat occurs as a result of the formation of insulin resistance of the body cells in a patient with diabetes mellitus.

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