title: Inflammatory diseases of the non-lactating female breasts.
abstract: Chronic inflammatory diseases of the non-lactating breasts cause considerable difficulty in diagnosis and treatment. There is a spectrum of aetiological factors ranging from infection to autoimmune disorders. The disease causes considerable morbidity and psychological distress in relatively young females. The study aimed to analyse the spectrum of chronic disease and to formulate a treatment protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female patients with histological confirmation of inflammatory disease of the breast in the non-lactational phase were included in the study. The patients were categorized based on histological findings supplemented with immunohistochemical staining with CD3 and CD20 antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 50 patients included in the study, 38 patients (76%) were diagnosed as idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) and 12 (24%) patients as periductal mastitis (PD). The possible aetiology of IGM was localized autoimmunity as evidenced by the infiltration of CD3 positive T lymphocyte. Systemic prednisolone was given for 6 months and 95.6% patients were disease-free after 24months. Out of 15 patients who did not receive prednisolone, only 2 patients were disease-free after 24 months (p = .003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is an uncommon inflammatory disease of the non-lactating breast. The combination of limited surgical treatment and systemic prednisolone given for 6 months effectively controls the disease as well as prevents recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Amrita School of Medicine, Elamakkara, Kochi, Kerala, 682041, India. Electronic address: gopalakrishnannair@aims.amrita.edu.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gopalakrishnan Nair
authors.affiliation: Amrita School of Medicine, Elamakkara, Kochi, Kerala, 682041, India.
authors.lastname: Hiran
authors.affiliation: Amrita School of Medicine, Elamakkara, Kochi, Kerala, 682041, India.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Amrita School of Medicine, Elamakkara, Kochi, Kerala, 682041, India.
authors.forename: Riju R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.affiliation: Amrita School of Medicine, Elamakkara, Kochi, Kerala, 682041, India.
authors.lastname: Misha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058890:Granulomatous Mastitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007774:Lactation; D008413:Mastitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone
keywords: Chronic inflammatory; Granulomatous; Mastitis