Gynaecomastia

I know some people will start grumbling when they see this title, "This Chang Yang is talking about nerdy stuff in some alien language again!" Well, don't worry, it's nothing so nerdy or alien, so please read on...

So, What the heck is gynaecomastia? According to the Online medical dictionary, gynaecomastia can be defined as:

gynaecomastia

An excessive development of the male mammary glands, even to the functional state.

Temporary enlargement of the breasts is not unusual or abnormal in boys during adolescence or during recovery from malnutrition. Gynaecomastia may be abnormal as, for example, in Klinefelter's syndrome.

Origin: Gr. Mastos = breast, gynh = a woman or female.

Gynaecomastia is a rather familiar medical term for me. Not because I have just come across this term in this morning's PBL, but it's because it's the first sophisticated medical term I learnt in my life. To be exact, I knew that about 5 years ago..

It was my sisters who first taught me this term. You know what, they said I have got gynaecomastia... Eerm, you see, I don't drink alcohol (to be precise, I haven't had alcohol when I was 14), so it can't be alcohol-related gynaecomastia. Dunngg... I am so stigmatised. Why lar say me got breast when I only have a little protusion on my chest? I wasn't even obese that time, although I have been a little bit chubby all the while. Therefore, I will take it as the normal enlargement of breasts during adolescence, and no teasing please. Again, I should emphasize that it's not that large. LOL..

Anyway, a mild gynaecomastia isn't all that bad for my body image... I remember when I was in form 2, sometimes I have to be take off shirts during physical education class, for basketball or football, for the purpose of identifying two different teams. There was once, I was taking off my shirt at the bench beside the basketball court when a friend of mine approached me to my surprise:

Chang Yang, since when you have you got chest muscle?

So, the next time your little son, nephew or cousin have got a "little breast", tell them don't be shy, they have just got a gynaecomastia! They will be glad that they learnt a new medical term in their vocabulary! Haha.

Small talk: My family was here last Thursday and they are now in Sydney for a self-organized tour. Things have been easy going recently and I enjoyed the med ball. I am still stuck with my studies while most other courses in the university have already started their two-week holidays. Eerm... Right now I am looking forward to my family to come back this Wednesday so that we can have great fun together. As for the activities that I left out in this blog, I will fill in the blanks when I am free to do so. To Jason and Yee Pin, wish you enjoy your new lives in UK! Ciao.