title: [Mammary tuberculosis: a retrospective study of 65 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Remember the clinical, morphologic and histological particularities of mammary tuberculosis. Discuss clinical and radiological diagnostic problems caused by this localization, as far as breast cancer is concerned.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study concerning 65 women suffering from mammary tuberculosis, diagnosed at Salah Azaiez Institute between January 1980 and December 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this series, mammary tuberculosis represents 0.2% of the declared tubercular localizations and 0.3% of the mammary pathologies treated at the institute. The mean age of our patients was 36 years (19 to 79). Clinical findings were misleading. In 60% of cases the aspect was of a malignant tumor, in 24.6% of cases of a benign nodule and in 16.4% of cases of an abscess. The mammography concluded to a malignant lesion in 49% of cases. The fine needle aspiration achieved at 8 patients was negative in 6 cases and brought back the caseum in the 2 others. The diagnosis has been made, for all our patients, after histological study when we found typical tuberculosis lesions on pieces of tumorectomy, or biopsy. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was established; all patients had an anti-tuberculosis medical treatment in a department of infectious diseases out of the institute.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical and radiological features of mammary tuberculosis are very confusing and cause a diagnostic problem with breast cancers. In front of symptoms evoking tuberculosis, biopsies must be done to eliminate an eventual cancer.
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie carcinologique, institut Salah-Azaiez, boulevard du 9-Avril, 1001 Tunis, Tunisie. jamel.benhassouna@rns.tn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ben Hassouna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gamoudi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bouzaiene
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dhiab
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khomsi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chargui
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sifi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mtaallah
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Makhlouf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chebbi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boussen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Héchiche
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rahal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology