Transient Gynecomastia in Chronic Renal Failure During Chronic Intermittent Hemodialysis

Transient gynecomastia was observed in six of seven patients with chronic renal failure that was being treated with chronic intermittent hemodialysis. All seven had tenderness of the breasts, poor sexual function, and small testes, or poor spermatogenesis, or both. Neither drugs nor hepatic disease seemed to be responsible for the gynecomastia. The gynecomastia appeared similar to that seen during refeeding of malnourished patients. The cause of this disorder is as yet unknown, but may be due to secretion by the testes of an estrogen or a similar substance.