[Mammary tuberculosis: a retrospective study of 65 cases].

OBJECTIVE

Remember the clinical, morphologic and histological particularities of mammary tuberculosis. Discuss clinical and radiological diagnostic problems caused by this localization, as far as breast cancer is concerned.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study concerning 65 women suffering from mammary tuberculosis, diagnosed at Salah Azaiez Institute between January 1980 and December 2001.

RESULTS

In this series, mammary tuberculosis represents 0.2% of the declared tubercular localizations and 0.3% of the mammary pathologies treated at the institute. The mean age of our patients was 36 years (19 to 79). Clinical findings were misleading. In 60% of cases the aspect was of a malignant tumor, in 24.6% of cases of a benign nodule and in 16.4% of cases of an abscess. The mammography concluded to a malignant lesion in 49% of cases. The fine needle aspiration achieved at 8 patients was negative in 6 cases and brought back the caseum in the 2 others. The diagnosis has been made, for all our patients, after histological study when we found typical tuberculosis lesions on pieces of tumorectomy, or biopsy. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was established; all patients had an anti-tuberculosis medical treatment in a department of infectious diseases out of the institute.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical and radiological features of mammary tuberculosis are very confusing and cause a diagnostic problem with breast cancers. In front of symptoms evoking tuberculosis, biopsies must be done to eliminate an eventual cancer.