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Updated: Mar 21, 2026
Clinical Imaging of Microwave Mammography
Published on: November 14, 2025
Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis: a diagnostic dilemma for the breast radiologist
Smiti Sripathi1, Anurag Ayachit2, Archana Bala2
1Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India. smitis11@hotmail.com.
Background:
Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the breast, which is often difficult to differentiate both clinically and radiologically from infectious aetiologies such as tuberculosis, fungal infections, and also from malignancy, thus posing a diagnostic dilemma. We present a pictorial review of the commonly encountered imaging findings in idiopathic granulomatous mastitis on mammography and ultrasound.
Materials And Methods:
Mammographic and ultrasound findings of histopathologically proven cases of granulomatous mastitis are discussed.
Conclusion:
Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis has varied and non-specific appearances on ultrasound and mammography. Histopathology is essential to establish diagnosis.
Teaching Points:
• Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis often poses a diagnostic dilemma for the radiologist by mimicking malignancy. • It has varied and non-specific appearances on mammography and ultrasound. • Histopathology is mandatory to establish the diagnosis and decide management.
