Progress In Diagnosis And Treatment Of Granulomatous Mastitis

Granulomatous mastitis is a rare chronic inflammatory lesion of the breast that usually affects non-puerperal women of child-bearing age and its incidence trends to raise recently.The causative factors that trigger this condition remain obscure.Potential etiological factors include hormonal imbalance,autoimmunity,unknown microbiological agents and ?1-antitrypsin deficiency,etc.It can clinically and radiographically mimic breast carcinoma.The most common clinical presentation is an unilateral,ill-defined breast mass,nipple retraction and discharge,abscess and even a sinus formation often associated with an inflammation of the overlying skin.Ultrasonography-guided multiple core needle biopsies(CNB)may be the diagnostic method of choice because of acceptable accuracy in demonstrating the tissue architecture and less complications.The histopathologic feature of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is of a noncaseating granuloma within and around the lobules.Its treatment remains controversial.Primary management consists of surgery,antibiotics,corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents,alone or in combination.