Gynecomasty an underestimated reality: a case series

Abstract

Background: Gynecomastia is a common but little studied benign pathology, characterized by the development of the breast in men giving it a feminine appearance, which can cause emotional stress and in turn delays or prevents the patient from going to a specialized medical consultation. Because it is not accompanied by signs of malignancy, most general practitioners consider it only an aesthetic alteration; however, the easy-to-perform surgical treatment helps the patient restore self-esteem. Cases presentation: Case series: During the period February - November 2019, there were 8 cases of gynecomastia, which corresponds to the fourth most frequent cause of surgical procedures at the General Hospital of Quevedo IESS. The age of the patients was between 17 and 30 years. The surgical treatment of choice was subcutaneous mastectomy. The mean hospital stay was 1.3 days, the suction drain removal time was between the third and fifth day, and the most frequent surgical complication (50%) was seroma. Conclusions: This series of cases demonstrates the importance of gynecomastia diagnosis, subcutaneous surgical treatment and post-surgical care to achieve bio-psycho-social balance of the individual. Although more evidence is needed, subcutaneous mastectomies that lack serious surgical complications should be performed whenever possible.