Hope for those aussies that have man tits
Hope for 'man boob' sufferers
The condition that causes small testicles, "man boobs", low libido and infertility could be much more common than previously thought, potentially affecting up to 25,000 Australian men, a study has revealed.
Up to half of those afflicted by Klinefelter syndrome – a genetic condition caused by an extra X chromosome – do not know they have it, researchers from Andrology Australia and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute say.
The study's lead author, Amy Herlihy, said the condition could be devastating.
"[Sufferers] find it very difficult, especially in puberty when they might feel very self-conscious if they're having breast development or [have] smaller testicles in the changing rooms."
Ms Herlihy wrote her doctorate thesis on Klinefelter, interviewing more than 200 men with the syndrome, some of whom had breast reduction surgery for gynaecomastia, colloquially known as "man boobs".
The research, published in The Medical Journal of Australia, showed that while it was once thought one in every 650 Australian males was affected by the condition, an analysis of Victorian diagnoses suggested it could be as high as one in 450 with as many as 25,000 men affected, based on latest population estimates.
If treated, symptoms can greatly improve, but many men are diagnosed only when they start treatment for fertility problems.
