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. 2024 Feb:115:109232.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2024.109232. Epub 2024 Jan 11.

A single center experience with a rare clinical entity of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis: Case series and review of the literature

Aseel Musleh  1 , Oadi N Shrateh  2 , Nima Ishtaya  1 , Khaled Abbadi  3 , Malvina Asbah  1 , Sahar Ayyad  4
Affiliations

A single center experience with a rare clinical entity of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis: Case series and review of the literature

Aseel Musleh et al. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction and importance: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM), also called autoimmune mastitis or granulomatous lobular mastitis is a benign, rare disease of the breast lobules. It is characterized by chronic non-caseating granulomatous sterile inflammation of the breast lobules. It is a disease of middle-aged women.

Case series presentation: Herein we report six cases of IGM the General Surgery Department at Palestinian Medical Complex (PMC) with a good response to treatment and significant improvement. The patients were followed-up for an average of 4-month period.

Discussion: Pathophysiology is uncertain. It has a wide differential diagnosis and malignancy should be ruled out. Its diagnosis is highly challenging and is only made by biopsy. Treatment options include medical and surgical therapy. Patients are usually started with a low dose prednisolone, other options include immunosuppressive agents, antibiotics, NSAIDs, colchicine and minimally invasive surgery. IGM has a high recurrence rate up to 40 % and long term follow up is advised.

Conclusion: IGM is a rare breast pathology that evolves in an unpredictable manner over time. Clinical and radiological aspects vary and pose a diagnostic challenge, particularly in breast cancer. The pathological examination is still the most important component of certain diagnoses. The clinically correlated treatment is still debatable.

Keywords: Autoimmune mastitis; Cases series; Granulomatous lobular mastitis; Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.

References

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