Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Oct 27;20(1):160.
doi: 10.1186/s12902-020-00639-9.

Isoniazid-induced gynaecomastia: report of a paediatric case and review of literature

Affiliations
Review

Isoniazid-induced gynaecomastia: report of a paediatric case and review of literature

Sarah Wing Yiu Poon et al. BMC Endocr Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Gynaecomastia is a fairly common condition in puberty but is rare in prepubertal boys. While it is necessary to exclude possible endocrinopathay in prepubertal gynaecomastia, medication is an important and potentially reversible cause to consider in new onset gynaecomastia. Isoniazid-induced gynaecomastia has been reported in adult males, but none was reported in the paediatric population and general paediatricians may not be aware of this uncommon side effect.

Case presentation: We hereby report a 11-year-old prepubertal boy who developed gynaecomastia while taking anti-tuberculosis drugs. Investigations excluded endocrinopathies. Gynaecomastia subsided 8 weeks after stopping isoniazid.

Conclusion: This case is the first paediatric case report describing the association of gynaecomastia with isoniazid use. It is important for general paediatricians to recognize this entity, as prompt diagnosis and cessation of the offending drug can lead to resolution of the problem.

Keywords: Gynaecomastia; Isoniazid; Paediatric.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of this case report.

Similar articles

References

    1. Timmins GS, Deretic V. Mechanisms of action of isoniazid. Mol Microbiol. 2006;62(5):1220–1227. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05467.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Leung SSF, Tse LY, Wong GWK, et al. Standards for the anthropometric assessment of nutritional status of Hong Kong children. HKJ Paediatr. 1995;12:5–15.
    1. Narula HS, Carlson HE. Gynaecomastia—pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014;10(11):684–698. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2014.139. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Henley DV, Lipson N, Korach KS, Bloch CA. Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils. N Engl J Med. 2007;356(5):479–485. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa064725. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mandel W. Pyridoxine and the isoniazid-induced neuropathy. Dis Chest. 1959;36:293–296. doi: 10.1378/chest.36.3.293. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources