Granulomatous mastitis including breast tuberculosis and idiopathic lobular granulomatous mastitis.

titis (ILGM) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of the breast that can clinically mimic breast carcinoma. Patients usually present with progressive onset of a breast lump. The most common clinical presentation is a firm unilateral, discrete breast mass, often associated with an inflammation of the overlying skin. Nipple retraction and even a sinus formation are present. Regional lymphadenopathy may be present in up to 15% of cases. In more than 50% of reported cases, the initial diagnosis was considered malignant or suspicious for breast carcinoma. The diagnosis of ILGM requires that other granulomatous lesions in the breast be excluded (Box 1). Tuberculosis (TB) of the breast is an uncommon disease that is often difficult to differentiate from cancer of the breast when it presents as a lump. Breast TB should be considered in differential diagnosis in people with clinically suspicious breast lumps who are from high-risk populations and/or endemic areas. Here we report 3 cases of granulomatous mastitis (GM): 2 were ILGM and 1 was TB mastitis that occurs in women of reproductive age. These patients presented with breast masses of 3, 5 and 7 cm in diameter. All 3 patients were suspected of having malignant tumours. We hope this article will increase awareness of these interesting conditions. Case reports