Differential Diagnostics
Print PageYour doctor will suspect breast cancer if there is: Breast growth on one side only (unilateral); nipple inversion or flattening; discharge that is not milk (watery, bloody, or pus-streaked);” orange peel” skin; heat or redness; an itching or burning sensation.
Your doctor will suspect lung cancer if you have: Breast growth on both sides; weight and appetite loss; chronic cough; bloody sputum; fatigue; wheezing; difficulty breathing (dyspnea); diffuse chest pain; and clubbed fingertips.
Your doctor will suspect a brain tumor of the pituitary gland if you have: Both breasts enlarged and producing milk; impotence; enlarged hands,
feet, and jaw (prognathism); high blood pressure; sweating and heat intolerance; thick, oily, dark skin; burning and weakness in the limbs; blurred or double vision; headache; unexplained weight gain; a very deep voice.
Your doctor will suspect a genetic disorder if you have: Breast growth on both sides; very small sex organs; little or no beard; impotence; little interest in sex; below average IQ; a urethra that opens on the bottom of your penis, instead of the glans tip (hypospadias); ambiguous sexual organs; a history of cyclical bleeding through your urinary tract.
Your doctor will suspect a tumor in your testicles (choriocarcinoma or Leydig’s cell tumor) if you have: Breast growth on both sides; sore nipples; low libido; painless swelling in the testis; a heavy sensation in the scrotum with a hard mass.
If you are a hemodialysis patient, your gynecomastia is part of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which can only be cured by a kidney transplant.
Your doctor will investigate you for kidney failure if you have a: History of urinary tract infections; bronzed skin; high blood pressure; nausea and vomiting; alternating diarrhea and constipation; ammonia breath; scanty urine; tiredness; mental fog; muscle cramps; bleed or bruise easily; no pain sensation in your toes and fingers; and a light salting (uremic frost) on your skin.
Your doctor will suspect Cushing syndrome, a disorder of the adrenal glands, or cirrhosis of the liver if you have: Breast growth on both sides (bilateral); weight gain about the torso only; impotence; low libido; shrunken testes; minimal beard growth; and body hair loss. Cirrhosis usually causes additional symptoms, like: Jaundice; severe pain in your upper right abdomen; spider veins; reddened palms; foul breath; swollen liver and abdomen (ascites); swollen limbs (edema); fever; muscle wasting; psychological changes; and slow clotting. Your doctor orders a urine sample for estrogen and 17-ketosteroids to rule out a feminizing adrenal tumor.
Your doctor will suspect a problem with the thyroid gland in your neck if it is swollen and you have: Bulging eyes; unexplained weight loss; increased hunger; diarrhea; tremors, nervousness, and irritability; racing heartbeat (tachycardia); sweating; low libido; impotence.
If you are an AIDS patient or had another wasting illness (cachexia) where you were malnourished and are now eating solids again, you may develop temporary gynecomastia that will resolve spontaneously as your body regains its vigor.