Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis: factors influencing recovery and recurrence

Abstract

Objectives: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is an idiopathic, inflammatory, and benign disease of the breast. The aim of this study was to determine possible risk factors for the recurrence of IGM in patients treated with different treatment modalities. Methods: It was planned to explore the risk factors of the disease through the evaluation of the medical records of 81 patients with the relevant diagnosis in the archives of Hacettepe University. The medical records of the patients were retrospectively screened for information regarding age, sex, total number of pregnancies, duration of breastfeeding, rheumatologic diseases, size and recurrence of the radiologically detected lesions. The results of two-year follow-up of the patients after the treatment were evaluated. The rates of recovery and recurrence after the treatment were determined for patients who received antibiotic therapy alone, who underwent wide excision alone, who received antibiotic therapy in combination with steroid therapy, and who received added azathioprine and/or methotrexate therapy. Results: No significant difference was observed between 12 patients having recurrence and 69 patients having no recurrence. However, the recovery time was shorter for patients with a lesion size of ≤ 20 mm who underwent wide excision or received antibiotic therapy alone. Conclusion: Among patients with a mass size ≤ 20 mm, those treated with wide excision and antibiotic therapy alone 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.