Your Child's Appointment with the Breast and Chest Program

Your child’s initial evaluation with CHOP’s Pediatric and Adolescent Breast and Chest Program will include:

• A comprehensive medical assessment, including meetings with adolescent medicine, psychology, and endocrinology if needed.
• A surgical consultation with a plastic or general surgeon, or both, depending on your child’s condition.
• A meeting with our team psychologist to go over your knowledge of the procedure; motivations and expectations for surgery; psychosocial history and current functioning; and body image concerns. At this time, we can provide additional support, outpatient therapy or referral to community providers as needed.
• Endocrine labs or other blood tests as needed, depending on the condition.
• Imaging tests, including an ultrasound or MRI to assess breast tissue. These imaging studies can help the care team confirm your child’s diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment.

Initial or follow-up appointments can be scheduled as needed with specific specialists. Follow-up appointments often include periodic clinic visits after surgery. During follow-up visits, your child may have additional imaging tests or exams to keep an eye on the growth of any existing breast tumors or cysts.

If delayed breast development is accompanied by other issues, your child’s physician might perform some additional tests such as an endocrine workup to check for hypothyroidism or precocious puberty. If your child’s condition is related to endocrinopathy (disorder of the endocrine system), medical evaluation and treatment by an endocrinologist may eliminate the need for surgery. Males with gynecomastia also require evaluation by an endocrinologist. In many cases, surgery may be required.