Breast tuberculosis in men: A systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Oncology
• General Surgery

Background:

• Male breast tuberculosis is an infrequently documented and poorly understood condition.
• Diagnosis and treatment protocols for male breast tuberculosis require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of male breast tuberculosis.
• To characterize the clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, and therapeutic interventions for male breast tuberculosis.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted, encompassing studies published in English, Spanish, and French up to December 2017.
• Data extraction focused on case reports detailing male breast tuberculosis, including patient demographics, clinical signs, diagnostic procedures, and treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• The review identified 26 cases of male breast tuberculosis, with a median age of 56.5 years.
• Common presentations included isolated breast lumps (89%), axillary lymphadenitis (27.8%), and skin inflammation (33.3%). Constitutional symptoms such as pain (64.7%) and fever (35.3%) were frequently reported.
• Fine-needle aspiration cytology and culture (61.5%) were the primary diagnostic tools. Standard anti-tuberculosis therapy, with or without surgical intervention (incision and drainage), constituted the main treatment approach.

Conclusions:

• While the incidence of male breast tuberculosis is low, delayed diagnosis is a significant concern due to its challenging presentation.
• The prognosis for male breast tuberculosis is generally favorable with standard anti-tuberculosis regimens, potentially combined with surgical drainage.