Adipomastia, also known colloquially as fatty breasts, is a condition defined as an excess of

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

and/or a flat layer of

adipose tissue Adipose tissue (also known as body fat or simply fat) is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes. It also contains the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of cells including preadipocytes, fibroblasts, Blood vessel, vascular endothel ...

(that doesn't protude like female breasts) in a man's

breast The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryology, embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is ...

without true

gynecomastia Gynecomastia (also spelled gynaecomastia) is the non-cancerous enlargement of one or both breasts in men due to the growth of breast tissue as a result of a hormone imbalance between estrogens and androgens. Updated by Brent Wisse (10 Novemb ...

. It is commonly present in men with

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess Adipose tissue, body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classifi ...

, and is particularly apparent in men who have undergone massive

weight loss Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...

. A related/synonymous term is ''pseudogynecomastia''. The condition is different and should be distinguished from

("women's breasts"), which involves female-like protruding fat tissue and/or glandular tissue in a male. The two conditions can usually be distinguished easily by

palpation Palpation is the process of using one's hands to check the body, especially while perceiving/diagnosing a disease or illness. Usually performed by a health care practitioner, it is the process of feeling an object in or on the body to determine ...

to check for the presence of glandular tissue. Another difference between the conditions is that breast pain/tenderness does not occur in pseudogynecomastia. Sometimes, gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia are present together; this is related to the fact that fat tissue expresses

aromatase Aromatase (), also called estrogen synthetase or estrogen synthase, is an enzyme responsible for a key step in the biosynthesis of estrogens. It is CYP19A1, a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, which are monooxygenases that catalyze man ...

, the

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

responsible for the

synthesis Synthesis or synthesize may refer to: Science Chemistry and biochemistry *Chemical synthesis, the execution of chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from chemical precursors **Organic synthesis, the chemical synthesis of organi ...

estrogen Estrogen (also spelled oestrogen in British English; see spelling differences) is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three ...

, and estrogen is produced to a disproportionate extent in men with excessive amounts of fat, resulting in simultaneous glandular enlargement.

Diagnosis

Adipomastia can be classified as grade one, two, or three. Grade one is characterized as having minimum excess fat and skin on the chest, as well as limited change in nipple placement and inframammary fold descent. Grade 1a has no lateral excess skin roll, while grade 1b shows lateral chest skin roll. Grade two is classified as a nipple-areola complex and inframammary fold below the optimum inframammary fold, a lateral chest roll, and limited upper abdominal laxity. Grade three is described as a nipple-areola complex and inframammary fold beneath the optimum inframammary fold, lateral chest roll, and substantial upper abdominal laxity.

Treatment

Ultrasonic and suction-assisted lipectomy, followed by secondary excisional procedures, can be used to treat Grade 1a Adipomastia. Ultrasonic and suction-assisted lipectomy, as well as direct excision of the lateral chest roll, are used to treat grade 1b Adipomastia. Secondary excisional procedures can be used to treat remaining deformities that do not retract properly. Grade 2 Adipomastia may be managed with a dermoglandular pedicled reconstruction. Grade 3 Adipomastia is treated with free-nipple grafting due to the degree of resection.

References

External links

{{Diseases of the breast Breast diseases Medical conditions related to obesity