[The radiological diagnosis of the male breast. Mammography, sonography and pathohistological correlation].

61 men with breast enlargement underwent mammography; complementary sonography was performed in 34 cases. Diagnoses included gynaecomastia in 53 cases, pseudo-gynaecomastia in 9 cases, 3 carcinomas, 2 inflammatory lesions and 1 lipoma. Gynaecomastias of up to four month's duration are histologically of the florid type and show a nodular or nodular-dendritic mammographic pattern; sonography usually demonstrates a focal hypo-echogenic area. Gynaecomastias of longer duration representing the fibrous type show mammographically a dendritic or diffuse pattern and sonographically a hyper-reflexive breast parenchyma. Mammography and sonography can differentiate reliably true gynaecomastia from pseudo-gynaecomastia. Gynaecomastia and especially inflammatory lesions may not always be readily differentiated from carcinoma. Sonography can be helpful by demonstrating hyper-reflexive glandular tissue, whereas carcinomas are usually hypoechoic.