Granulomatous mastitis can mimic breast cancer on clinical, radiological or cytological examination: a cautionary tale

In both women and men, breast lumps are the most common presentation of breast cancer. The following cases illustrate the pathological entity of granulomatous mastitis, which can present simulating breast cancer – including the first description of this condition in a male. These cases demonstrate the difficulty in clinical diagnosis and emphasizes that although there may be clues from the history, clinical awareness that this condition can mimic breast cancer in all aspects of the triple assessment process should arouse suspicion. The importance of histological diagnosis by core or excision biopsy is stressed, as with accurate diagnosis of granulomatous mastitis there is a mandate to avoid unnecessary surgery.