title: Unilateral mastitis obliterans presented as a palpable breast mass in a patient with long-standing diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Mastitis obliterans is an uncommon and late manifestation of ductal ectasia. We report a case of a woman with a long-term type 2 diabetes, referred to us because of a palpable right breast mass. Mammography showed an asymmetry in the palpated area. Ultrasonography was consistent with a an irregular, hypoechoic mass with indistinct margins and linear tracts to the skin. The biopsy showed a fibrotic component surrounding dilated galactophore ducts, which were collapsed by an infiltrate of lymphocytes and histiocytes corresponding to mastitis obliterans. The differential diagnosis should be made between diabetic fibrous mastopathy, granulomatous mastitis and lobular carcinoma. In our opinion, the therapeutic approach should depend on the symptomatology and should be individualized for each patient owing to the lack of information on this pathology, adopting therefore a conservative attitude.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department from HU Dr. Peset, Valencia, Spain. jorblay@gmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blay
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rausell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fonfria
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atares
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Requeni
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vilar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000150:complications; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000473:pathology*; D008413:Mastitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010173:Palpation