Tamoxifen therapy for the management of pubertal gynecomastia: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review to assess the efficacy of tamoxifen in the management of idiopathic pubertal gynecomastia.

DATA SOURCES: Searches were conducted using the databases of Medline (search engine PubMed) and Web of Science®.

STUDY SELECTION: Studies reporting the use of Tamoxifen for the treatment of gynecomastia in adolescents.

OUTCOME MEASURE: Resolution of gynecomastia.

RESULTS

A total of 164 publications were found; 59 were selected for retrieval and six were included in the review. There were no randomized controlled studies; the studies found have methodological flaws but show promising results. No clinical side-effects were reported or observed.

CONCLUSION

Tamoxifen may be effective for the treatment of pubertal gynecomastia, and it seems safe to use. Randomized controlled studies are necessary to confirm this indication.