Tuberculosis of the breast

Abstract

Twenty-one cases of mammary tuberculosis are reported and the attendant clinical and histological difficulties described. It is probable that contemporary clinicians would now make the clinical diagnosis of breast abscess or carcinoma. Furthermore, the histological features (without demonstration or culture of the organism) may be confused with those granulomatous epithelloid reactions seen in mammary duct ectasia (comedo cell mastitis, plasma cell mastitis) and in traumatic fat necrosis.