Male breast at autopsy.

In a consecutive and unselected series of 100 male autopsies, the breasts were totally extirpated and histologically investigated. Gynecomasty was found in 55 cases, of which 48 were in healed and seven in still active, intermediate phase. All but two cases were bilateral. No clinical evidence of gynecomasty was established in any case. Thus, gynecomasty seems to be very common in men. In seven cases, severe intraductal epithelial hyperplasia was found, three of pagetoid and four of cribriform type. They belonged to the atypical hyperplastic--early intraductal carcinoma type. All cases were incidentally found and without known clinical relevance.