Massive puberty hypertrophy of the breasts

A case of puberty hypertrophy of the breasts in a girl of fourteen years is described, including endocrinologic studies. The pathologic anatomy indicates a marked hyperplasia of the glandular and connective tissue elements with preservation of the unripe lobular structure ordinarily encountered at puberty. The hormonal factors responsible for mammary growth are discussed and a correlation made with normal physiologic development of the breast. The weight of evidence indicates that the estrogenic hormone and possibly also the corpus luteum hormone is directly responsible for growth of the breast and is concerned in the etiology of puberty hypertrophy.