TY - JOUR
T1 - Panax ginseng
T2 - A newly identified cause of gynecomastia
AU - Kakisaka, Yosuke
AU - Ohara, Tomoichiro
AU - Tozawa, Hideo
AU - Sato, Shun
AU - Katayama, Saori
AU - Suzuki, Tasuku
AU - Hino-Fukuyo, Naomi
AU - Kure, Shigeo
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Gynecomastia or benign proliferation of the male breast glandular tissue is not uncommon for adolescent males. Its pathogenesis has been attributed to a transient imbalance between estrogens and androgens. Ginseng is a popular herb with a long history of medicinal use. Oriental folk medicine describes it as both a tonic for restoring strength and a panacea. The term "ginseng" generally refers to a plant, Panax ginseng. Based on estrogen-like actions of Panax ginseng due to its structural similarity with estradiol, this agent could be speculated to cause gynecomastia. Here we report a 12-year-old Korean-Japanese boy with bilateral enlargement of the breasts with tenderness in the right breast, which was noticed about 1 month before his first visit to our outpatient clinic. He was diagnosed with gynecomastia based on physical, laboratory, and ultrasound examinations. Detailed questioning about his medications and supplements revealed that he had been given red ginseng extract daily to enhance his performance for 1 month before his clinical presentation. He wanted to make his body stronger as an athlete. He was recommended from his grandmother to take Panax ginseng for his purpose. After stopping this, there was no further growth of the masses and no pain when his right breast was pressed. In conclusion, physicians should consider ginseng in the investigation of gynecomastia.
AB - Gynecomastia or benign proliferation of the male breast glandular tissue is not uncommon for adolescent males. Its pathogenesis has been attributed to a transient imbalance between estrogens and androgens. Ginseng is a popular herb with a long history of medicinal use. Oriental folk medicine describes it as both a tonic for restoring strength and a panacea. The term "ginseng" generally refers to a plant, Panax ginseng. Based on estrogen-like actions of Panax ginseng due to its structural similarity with estradiol, this agent could be speculated to cause gynecomastia. Here we report a 12-year-old Korean-Japanese boy with bilateral enlargement of the breasts with tenderness in the right breast, which was noticed about 1 month before his first visit to our outpatient clinic. He was diagnosed with gynecomastia based on physical, laboratory, and ultrasound examinations. Detailed questioning about his medications and supplements revealed that he had been given red ginseng extract daily to enhance his performance for 1 month before his clinical presentation. He wanted to make his body stronger as an athlete. He was recommended from his grandmother to take Panax ginseng for his purpose. After stopping this, there was no further growth of the masses and no pain when his right breast was pressed. In conclusion, physicians should consider ginseng in the investigation of gynecomastia.
KW - Ginseng
KW - Gynecomastia
KW - Physical examination
KW - Questioning about supplements
KW - Ultrasound
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U2 - 10.1620/tjem.228.143
DO - 10.1620/tjem.228.143
M3 - Article
C2 - 23006978
AN - SCOPUS:84867890211
VL - 228
SP - 143
EP - 145
JO - Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
JF - Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine
SN - 0040-8727
IS - 2
ER -