Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis: a Rare Chronic Inflammatory Disease of the Breast which Can Mimic Breast Carcinoma

Abstract

Granulomatous lobular mastitis is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the breast. The differential diagnosis with malign breast disease is often not easy. In most cases a surgical biopsy is needed for correct diagnosis. Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is an exclusion diagnosis, based on the demonstration of a characteristic histological pattern, combined with the exclusion of other possible causes of granulomatous breast lesions. There is still no generally accepted optimal treatment. If surgery forms part of the treatment, a conservative approach seems to be adequate in most cases. Another option is a long-term steroid treatment. It is mandatory to exclude infectious causes of granulomatous mastitis before corticoid therapy is started.

Key Words:

• Granulomatous mastitis
• breast cancer.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

G. Verfaillie

Dr. G. Verfaillie, M.D. AZ-VUB Laarbeeklaan, 101 B-1090 Brussels, Belgium Phone: [phone] E-mail: [email protected]