Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis: factors influencing recovery and recurrence

Abstract

Objectives: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is an idiopathic, inflammatory, and benign disease ofthe breast. The aim of this study was to determine possible risk factors for the recurrence of IGM in patientstreated with different treatment modalities.Methods: It was planned to explore the risk factors of the disease through the evaluation of the medical recordsof 81 patients with the relevant diagnosis in the archives of Hacettepe University. The medical records of thepatients were retrospectively screened for information regarding age, sex, total number of pregnancies, durationof breastfeeding, rheumatologic diseases, size and recurrence of the radiologically detected lesions. The resultsof two-year follow-up of the patients after the treatment were evaluated. The rates of recovery and recurrenceafter the treatment were determined for patients who received antibiotic therapy alone, who underwent wideexcision alone, who received antibiotic therapy in combination with steroid therapy, and who received addedazathioprine and/or methotrexate therapy.Results: No significant difference was observed between 12 patients having recurrence and 69 patients havingno recurrence. However, the recovery time was shorter for patients with a lesion size of ≤ 20 mm who underwentwide excision or received antibiotic therapy alone.Conclusion: Among patients with a mass size ≤ 20 mm, those treated with wide excision and antibiotic therapyalone had shorter recovery times compared with those who received immunosuppressive therapy. In addition,it may take more than two years to terminate the treatment in patients who received medical treatment alone.