title: Granulomatous mastitis: surgical outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the clinical and pathological features and surgical treatment outcomes of patients with granulomatous mastitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, between 1999-2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 16 patients with granulomatous mastitis treated surgically by total excision with disease-free margins were reviewed. Patients given additional medical therapy or treated with mastectomy because of the size and extent of the disease were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 31.8 (range: 22-45 years). All patients were diagnosed from the pathological tissue specimens obtained by surgery. Clinical and radiological examinations suggested breast carcinoma in 82.1% patients. Except one patient who developed a fistula from the incision which was treated again with surgery, no other complications were noted, including recurrence of disease during a median follow-up period of 12.8 months (range: 4-30 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although granulomatous mastitis is a rare benign breast disease, it usually mimics breast carcinoma both clinically and radiologically, making the diagnosis difficult and challenging. As long as good cosmetic results can be achieved, surgical excision is quick, safe and effective treatment method for idiopathic granulomatous mastitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Oncology Research and Training Hospital, Demetevler, Ankara, Turkey. heguven@gmail.com
authors.forename: H Erhan
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Güven
authors.forename: Isin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pak
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oral
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008413:Mastitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome