Hypertrophy of breast also known as macromastia or gigantomastia is a real although rare medical condition of the breast connective tissues. The indication is a breast weight that exceeds approximately 3% of the total body weight. {...} Some resources distinguish between macromastia, where excessive tissue is less than 2.5 kg, and gigantomastia, where excessive tissue is more than 2.5 kg. The enlargement can cause muscular discomfort and over-stretching of the skin envelope, which can lead in some cases to ulceration.
Hypertrophy of the breast tissues might be caused by increased histologic sensitivity to the female hormones prolactin, estrogen, and progesterone; or an abnormally elevated hormone(s) level in the blood, or both. It's a benign progressive enlargement, which can occur in both breasts (bilateral) or only in one breast (unilateral). It was first scientifically described in 1648. It can affect the breasts equally, but usually affects one breast more than the other, thereby causing asymmetry, when one breast is larger than the other. The condition can also individually affect the nipples and areola instead of or in addition to the entire breast.
The effect can produce a minor size variation to an extremely large breast asymmetry. Breast hypertrophy is classified in one of five ways: as either pubertal (virginal hypertrophy), gestational (gravid macromastia), in adult women without any obvious cause, associated with penicillamine therapy, and associated with extreme obesity. The underlying cause of the rapidly growing breast connective tissue, resulting in gigantic proportions, is thought to be a heightened sensitivity to female hormones prolactin, estrogen and progesterone.
Medical treatmentMedical treatment has not proven consistently effective. ...
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Posted By: Jen Fad
Friday, March 1st 2013 at 2:00PM
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