Diabetic fibrous breast disease: a clinical entity that mimics cancer

Three typical cases of fibrous mastopathy associated with diabetes mellitus are described. The histological change is a connective-tissue overgrowth with vasculitis and some proliferation of duct epithelium. The clinical changes are indistinguishable by physical or radiographic findings from malignancy. In young patients with long-standing diabetes the presence of one or more suspicious clinical and imaging findings can suggest the presence of this lesion but a surgical biopsy or, at least, a close follow-up is required.