Surgical Treatment for Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis

Purpose: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is a rare benign inflammatory breast disease of an unknown etiology and the optimal treatment remains controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of surgically complete excision in patients with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Methods: Between March 2005 and November 2008, we treated 14 cases that were diagnosed with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. Prospectively, we treated the cases with complete surgical excision with or without steroid therapy in all patients. Results: The mean age of the patients was 36 years (range 30 to 53 years). All cases performed were complete excision with or without steroid therapy. The median follow up period was 26 months (range 5 to 50 months) and all cases had no recurrence. 13 patients out of the 14 were satisfied with the cosmesis of the treated breast. Conclusion: We conclude that the treatment of choice for idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is surgically complete excision.