title: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the clinical and radiological features and treatment approaches in 14 patients diagnosed with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (GM).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the clinical features, radiological findings, and treatment approaches in 14 patients with idiopathic GM in the General Surgery Department, Gulhane School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey between April 2000 and June 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 34.5 years (range 27-41 years). The complaints at admission were a mass in the breast in 7 (50%) patients, an abscess and a mass in 6 (42.8%), and a skin fistula in one (7.2%). Granulomatous mastitis was unilateral in all subjects (on the right in 5 patients and on the left in 9). All of the patients underwent ultrasonographic evaluation. Mammography was performed in 8 and magnetic resonance imaging in 5 patients. Seven patients (50%) were suspected to have breast carcinoma according to radiological findings. We performed large excision in 11, incisional biopsy plus abscess drainage in one, and incisional biopsy plus abscess drainage plus medical treatment (prednisolone, methotrexate) in 2 patients. Due to the development of abscess after 9 months, drainage and large excision were also performed in one patient who received medical treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Idiopathic GM is a disease that generally affects young women of reproductive age and may be mistaken for breast carcinoma in clinical and radiological evaluations. The gold standard for the diagnosis is histopathologic evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Gulhane Military University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: Mehmet F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozerhan
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yagci
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tufan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008413:Mastitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies