Men’s Scans · Gland or Fat — Answered in One Appointment

Male Breast Ultrasound in London

Chest swelling or a lump under the nipple, assessed properly — glandular tissue distinguished from fat, and anything that needs a specialist named plainly. Handled without fuss.

  • 30-minute appointment — unhurried, where most clinics allow 20
  • Glandular tissue distinguished from fatty tissue
  • Both sides assessed, plus the armpit lymph nodes
  • Findings at the scan; written report usually within two hours
  • No GP referral required — self-refer today
£189male breast ultrasound examination · report and images included
Book Your Male Breast Scan
Call 0203 051 6506

CQC-registered clinic · Provider ID 1-2775844974 · HCPC-registered sonographers

30Minutes · Unhurried Examination
£189Report & Images Included
4.9 ★476 Google Reviews
0Radiation · Completely Safe
The Basics

What is a male breast ultrasound?

A male breast ultrasound examines the tissue behind and around the nipple, the chest wall beneath it, and the lymph nodes in the armpit. It answers a question that cannot be settled by feel alone: is the swelling glandular tissue, or is it fat?

That distinction has a name on each side. True glandular enlargement is gynaecomastia; fatty enlargement without gland is often called pseudogynaecomastia. They feel similar and look similar in the mirror, but they have different causes and different treatment paths — which is why the scan is worth doing rather than guessing.

The great majority of what we find is benign. Male breast cancer exists but is uncommon, and the scan is also there to identify the features that need a specialist rather than reassurance.

Indications

Why might I need a male breast scan?

Most men book because something has changed: a firm disc under one nipple, tenderness, or a chest shape that has not responded to training. Gynaecomastia is common at puberty, common again with age, and can be triggered by medication, alcohol, anabolic steroid use, liver problems or low testosterone.

The scan does two things at once. It tells you what the tissue actually is — which decides whether the answer is time, a medication review, or a surgical opinion — and it checks for the small number of findings that need assessing further.

Male breast ultrasound examination at IUS London

Common reasons to book

  • A firm disc or lump under one or both nipples
  • Chest swelling that has not shifted with training
  • Tenderness or soreness around the nipple
  • A change on one side only
  • Swelling since starting a new medication
  • Concern about a lump you have found yourself
What we assess

  • Glandular tissue — present, and how much
  • Fatty tissue, distinguished from gland
  • Whether change is one-sided or both
  • Any discrete lump, measured and characterised
  • Skin and the tissue directly behind the nipple
  • Lymph nodes in both armpits
Changes that should go to your GP promptly

A hard, fixed lump away from the nipple, skin dimpling or puckering, nipple retraction, or bloody discharge should be assessed by your GP promptly — who can refer you to a breast clinic where examination, imaging and biopsy happen together. Male breast cancer is uncommon, but those features are the ones that warrant the specialist pathway rather than reassurance.

Suitability

Is this scan suitable for me?

A male breast ultrasound is a good fit if any of these sound like you:

  • ✓You have noticed a firm disc or lump under the nipple
  • ✓Chest swelling has not responded to training or weight loss
  • ✓Only one side has changed
  • ✓Swelling started after a new medication or supplement
  • ✓You want to know whether it is gland or fat before considering surgery
  • ✓You would rather have it looked at than keep wondering

And when it is not the right booking

You want the tissue removed — we are a diagnostic clinic and do not perform surgery. If a surgical opinion is the next step, the report gives a surgeon what they need.

You want hormone testing — blood tests for testosterone, thyroid and liver function go through your GP. We do not offer blood tests.

You have a hard fixed lump with skin or nipple change — see your GP promptly for the breast clinic pathway — that route includes biopsy, which we do not provide.

Book your male breast scan — £189Not sure? Call 0203 051 6506

If a male breast ultrasound is not the right test for you, we will say so before you book — not after.

Your Appointment

What happens on the day

  1. 1
    Booking — no referral, no preparationNothing to fast for. The appointment is 30 minutes and you can book directly.
  2. 2
    The awkwardness, handled in the first minutePlenty of men put this off because the appointment feels embarrassing. It is a chest scan. You keep your dignity, a chaperone is available on request, and we get on with it without commentary.
  3. 3
    The scanWarm gel and a small probe over the tissue behind and around each nipple, then the armpits. It takes a few minutes per side.
  4. 4
    Both sides, alwaysEven where only one side has changed, we scan both — comparison is what makes a finding interpretable.
  5. 5
    Findings explained on screenGland or fat, and what any lump is. You leave knowing the answer rather than waiting for a letter.
  6. 6
    Your reportUsually with you within two hours, written so your GP or a surgeon can act on it directly.
Most men who book this have been putting it off for months. The scan takes half an hour and usually ends with a straightforward answer — which is a better outcome than another year of wondering.
Clinical Education

Understanding male chest swelling

Two different tissues, two different answers.

Gynaecomastia — glandular

Actual breast gland tissue behind the nipple, often felt as a firm rubbery disc and frequently tender. Common at puberty and again with age, and sometimes triggered by medication, alcohol, liver problems, low testosterone or anabolic steroid use.

Pseudogynaecomastia — fatty

Fat rather than gland, distributed more diffusely and usually not tender. It tends to respond to weight change where true gland does not, which is exactly why knowing which you have matters before deciding what to do.

The uncommon but important group

Male breast cancer is rare but real. The features that raise concern are a hard fixed lump away from the nipple, skin dimpling, nipple retraction or bloody discharge — and those belong on the breast clinic pathway through your GP.

Your Results

What your report might say

Fatty tissue only, no glandular enlargementPseudogynaecomastia. Reassuring, and it means weight and training are the levers that will actually change it — where surgery for gland would not be the answer.

Glandular tissue present — gynaecomastiaCommon and usually benign. Worth reviewing medications and, where relevant, hormone levels with your GP. Long-standing gland does not typically resolve with training, so a surgical opinion is reasonable if it bothers you.

A finding that needs a breast clinicA discrete lump with features warranting further assessment, or abnormal lymph nodes. Stated plainly in the room and written for your GP, who can refer you on the urgent pathway where indicated.

A normal scan does not override a lump your doctor is concerned about on examination. We do not perform biopsy or mammography, and imaging is one part of an assessment rather than the whole of it.

Gland or fat — know in half an hour

Both sides assessed with the armpit nodes, explained on screen as we scan, with your written report usually within two hours.

Book Your Male Breast Scan — £189Call 0203 051 6506
From Our Practice

How we scan male chests

Scanned by the person reporting it

The sonographer who scans you writes your report. Nothing goes to a remote reader.

No commentary, no fuss

It is a chest scan and we treat it as one. A chaperone is available on request and you can stop at any point.

Both sides as standard

Comparison between sides is what makes a one-sided change interpretable.

Named plainly

Gland or fat, stated clearly — because that single answer decides whether the next step is your GP, a surgeon, or nothing at all.

FAQs

Male Breast ultrasound — your questions answered

Is it gynaecomastia or just fat?
That is exactly what the scan answers. Gynaecomastia is true glandular tissue, usually felt as a firm disc behind the nipple and often tender. Fatty enlargement is more diffuse and usually painless. They feel similar, which is why imaging settles it rather than guesswork.
Is male breast cancer common?
No, it is uncommon — but it exists, and it is treatable when found early. The features that warrant the breast clinic pathway are a hard fixed lump away from the nipple, skin dimpling, nipple retraction or bloody discharge. Those go to your GP promptly.
Will training or losing weight fix it?
Fatty enlargement often responds to weight change. True glandular tissue generally does not, which is the practical reason to know which you have before spending a year trying.
Can medication cause it?
Yes. Several medication groups are associated with gynaecomastia, as are alcohol, liver problems, low testosterone and anabolic steroid use. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own — take the report to your GP and review it with them.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book directly, and the report is written so your GP or a surgeon can act on it.
Will there be a chaperone?
If you would like one, yes — ask when you book or when you arrive. You can also stop the scan at any point without giving a reason.
Do you offer surgery or removal?
No. We provide diagnostic imaging only. If a surgical opinion is the right next step, the report gives a surgeon the detail they need.
Do you do mammograms or biopsies?
No. Neither is available here. Where a finding needs biopsy, that happens at a breast clinic through your GP.
Will you check my hormone levels?
No — blood tests for testosterone, thyroid and liver function are arranged through your GP. The scan covers the tissue; bloods cover the cause.
How quickly will I get my results?
Findings are explained on screen during the scan, and the written report is usually with you within two hours.
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Further reading: men with breast lumps and armpit lumps.

Location

Where can you get a male breast ultrasound in London?

Our clinic is at 5a Lucerne Mews, Kensington, London W8 4ED — a quiet mews three minutes on foot from Notting Hill Gate, serving Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Bayswater and central London.

Short-notice appointments are often available, including for people facing a long wait elsewhere. Call 0203 051 6506 for today’s availability.

Getting here

By tube: Notting Hill Gate — three minutes’ walk.

By bus: Routes along Notting Hill Gate and Kensington Church Street stop nearby.

By car: On-street parking nearby — full options in directions & parking.

Book Your Scan

Stop wondering about it

Both sides assessed with the armpit nodes in a 30-minute appointment — gland or fat named plainly, explained on screen as we scan, with your report usually within two hours.

Book Online0203 051 6506
£189
Male Breast ultrasound scan · 30 minutes

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5a Lucerne Mews
Kensington, London W8 4ED
3 mins from Notting Hill Gate
CQC Registered
HCPC Sonographers
No GP Referral Needed
Report Within 2 Hours
No Radiation

Written and clinically reviewed by the HCPC-registered sonographers who perform this scan at IUS London — a CQC-registered diagnostic ultrasound clinic (Provider ID 1-2775844974). Your own findings are explained to you at the scan and set out in your report.

Author: Yianni Kiromitis, Senior Sonographer, HCPC RA38415 — over 20 years’ experience in NHS and private ultrasound · Reviewed 10 August 2026