title: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Experience at a cancer center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a benign breast disease that has been described as a rare granulomatous inflammation (GI). It can mimic inflammatory breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included women with a diagnosis of IGM referred to an oncologic hospital between January 01, 2007 and to March 31, 2011, with diagnosis of breast cancer, in whom biopsy reported GI, without other cause related. The aim of this study was to review the clinical, radiologic and pathologic characteristics of a cohort of women with IGM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 58 patients; mean age was 38 ± 12 years. Mammography showed diffuse asymmetry (n = 19) and focal asymmetry (n = 13); breast ultrasound showed heterogeneous and hypoechoic areas (n = 28) and lumps (n = 21) as the most frequent lesions. All biopsies showed lobulocentric GI. Treatment included antibiotics (n = 20), steroids (n = 8), both treatments (n = 20), surgical excision (n = 3) and observation (n = 7). Forty-three patients (74%) had complete remission; mean time to remission was 9.5 ± 5.8 months. Fifteen (26%) had partial remission. Any patient had progression or relapse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IGM is a benign breast condition that may mimic breast inflammatory cancer. Ultrasonography and mammography findings reveal characteristic data that can be useful for establishing the diagnosis; however, biopsy is the gold standard for its diagnosis and should be taken in any patient even with a mild suspicion of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Instituto Nacional de Cancerología.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cornejo-Juárez
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vilar-Compte
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Jiménez
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: González-Ordoñez
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Martínez
authors.forename: Martha Patricia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pérez-Badillo
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Villaseñor-Navarro
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Volkow-Fernández
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D058890:Granulomatous Mastitis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome