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Diabetic mastopathy. A report of two cases diagnosed by aspiration cytology
L Peppoloni1, F M Buttaro, E G Cristallini
1Histologic and Pathologic Anatomy Unit, Foligno Hospital, Perugia, Italy.
Background:
Diabetic mastopathy (DM) is a lymphocytic mastitis that develops in women who have suffered from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus for some years.
Cases:
A 51-year-old female with type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes for 13 years presented with a 3-cm, hard, mobile nodule in the right breast. A 59-year-old female on insulin therapy for five years presented with a 4-cm mass in the subareolar region of the breast. The aspirate in both cases showed clusters of ductal cells, some lymphocytes and epithelioid fibroblasts in fragments of dense connective tissue.
Conclusion:
The expected frequency of this disease is far lower than the number of cases diagnosed. This is due to the lack of highly specific criteria for the diagnosis. Only the integration of clinical histories with cytologic findings can lead to an accurate diagnosis and avoid needless surgery.