Gynecomastia possibly induced by rosuvastatin

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Gynecomastia, or benign progressive enlargement of male breast tissue, can have pharmacologic origins in 10-20% of cases.
• Statins are a class of drugs known to be associated with gynecomastia in some case reports.
• No prior reports have specifically linked rosuvastatin to gynecomastia.

Observation:

• A 57-year-old male patient developed bilateral gynecomastia after two months of rosuvastatin therapy.
• The patient's gynecomastia symptoms resolved within one month after switching to atorvastatin, another statin.
• The Naranjo scale indicated a possible causal relationship between rosuvastatin use and the observed gynecomastia.

Findings:

• This is the first reported case of rosuvastatin-induced gynecomastia.
• Rosuvastatin's potent inhibition of steroidogenesis may explain its association with gynecomastia in this patient.
• The patient's condition improved upon discontinuation of rosuvastatin and initiation of atorvastatin.

Implications:

• Clinicians should consider rosuvastatin as a potential cause of gynecomastia in patients.
• Awareness of potential adverse endocrine reactions, including gynecomastia, is crucial when prescribing statins.
• Further investigation into the endocrine effects of newer statin agents like rosuvastatin is warranted.