Granulomatous mastitis: clinical, pathological features, and management.

Area of Science:

• Breast pathology
• Surgical oncology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Granulomatous Mastitis (GM) is a rare, chronic inflammatory condition of the breast.
• It predominantly affects women of childbearing age, often with a history of breastfeeding.
• Clinical presentation can mimic breast cancer, necessitating accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic features of Granulomatous Mastitis.
• To evaluate the efficacy of surgical and steroid treatment modalities for GM.
• To analyze recurrence, morbidity, and follow-up data in GM patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 16 histologically confirmed Granulomatous Mastitis cases.
• Analysis of patient demographics, clinical presentation, imaging, histopathology, and treatment outcomes.
• Evaluation of surgical excision, quadranectomy, and oral prednisone therapy.

Main Results:

• All cases exhibited characteristic granulomatous inflammation on histopathology.
• Radiologic findings were largely nonspecific.
• Surgical excision was performed in 12 cases; 4 required quadranectomy. Oral prednisone achieved complete remission in 6 recurrent or resistant cases.

Conclusions:

• Granulomatous Mastitis primarily impacts premenopausal women and can be misdiagnosed as breast cancer.
• Histopathologic examination is crucial for definitive GM diagnosis.
• Wide surgical excision is recommended, with steroid therapy considered for refractory or recurrent disease due to a potential autoimmune component.