Breast Tuberculosis in Southeast Turkey: Report of 27 Cases.
BACKGROUND: Breast tuberculosis (TB) is a very rare form of TB. Case series on breast TB are scarce. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients with breast TB treated between 2004 and 2008 at our hospital were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: All patients were female (mean age 31.5 ± 8.4 years). All but 1 patient were new cases. Patients presented with swelling of the breast (48.1%), mass and fluctuation (each, 40.7%), and breast pain (18.5%). The mean treatment duration was significantly shorter in 14 patients who received directly observed therapy (DOT) compared with those (n = 12) who did not (6.7 ± 1.7 months vs. 8.5 ± 1.6 months, respectively; p = 0.01). Seven patients underwent segmental mastektomy as complementary surgery. The highest rate of breast TB was seen in 2007 (37.1% compared with 14.8% between 2004 and 2006). CONCLUSIONS: Breast TB should be considered in patients with breast neoplasia, swelling, and discharge, and can be successfully treated by DOT with shorter treatment duration.
Department of Chest Diseases, School of Medicine, Dicle University.
Abdullah C
AC
Tanrikulu
Abdurrahman
A
Abakay
Ozlem
O
Abakay
Murat
M
Kapan