Breast atrophy explained

Breast atrophy is the normal or spontaneous atrophy or shrinkage of the breasts.^[1]

Breast atrophy commonly occurs in women during menopause when estrogen levels decrease.^{[2] [3] [4]} It can also be caused by hypoestrogenism and/or hyperandrogenism in women in general, such as in antiestrogen treatment for breast cancer, in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),^{[5] [6]} and in malnutrition such as that associated with eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or with chronic disease.^{[7] [8]} It can also be an effect of weight loss.^[9]

In the treatment of gynecomastia in males and macromastia in women, and in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for trans men,^[10] breast atrophy may be a desired effect.

See also

• Mammoplasia
• Micromastia

Notes and References

1. Book: Prem Puri. Michael E. Höllwarth. Pediatric Surgery: Diagnosis and Management. 28 May 2009. Springer Science & Business Media. 978-3-540-69560-8. 257–258.
2. Book: Melvin A. Shiffman. Mastopexy and Breast Reduction: Principles and Practice. 24 December 2009. Springer Science & Business Media. 978-3-540-89873-3. 42–.
3. Book: Kristen A. Atkins. Christina Kong. Practical Breast Pathology: A Diagnostic Approach: A Volume in the Pattern Recognition Series. 29 October 2012. Elsevier Health Sciences. 978-1-4557-3340-8. 67–.
4. Book: Thomas J. Lawton. Breast. 27 April 2009. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-88159-3. 1–.
5. Book: Ricardo Azziz. The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Current Concepts on Pathogenesis and Clinical Care. 3 July 2007. Springer Science & Business Media. 978-0-387-69248-7. 20–.
6. Book: Susan Scott Ricci. Terri Kyle. Maternity and Pediatric Nursing. registration. 2009. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 978-0-7817-8055-1. 213–.
7. Book: J.P. Lavery. J.S. Sanfilippo. Pediatric and Adolescent Obstetrics and Gynecology. 6 December 2012. Springer Science & Business Media. 978-1-4612-5064-7. 99–.
8. Book: Julia A. McMillan. Ralph D. Feigin. Catherine DeAngelis. M. Douglas Jones. Oski's Pediatrics: Principles & Practice. 2006. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 978-0-7817-3894-1. 558–.
9. Book: Cynthia Feucht. Donald E. Greydanus. Joav Merrick . Hatim A. Omar . Dilip R. Patel. Pharmacotherapeutics in General, Mental and Sexual Health. 2 April 2012. Walter de Gruyter. 978-3-11-025570-6. 287–.
10. Book: Merril D. Smith. Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast. 8 September 2014. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 978-0-7591-2332-8. 121–.