فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background and Objectives: Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a rare benign inflammatory disease of the breast whose pathogenesis is not yet fully understood. While the literature reports an association between IGM and arthritis and/or erythema nodosum (EN)  in a small number of patients, the diagnosis and treatment of these individuals are not well-documented. The objective of this study is to present our case series of patients with IGM and EN and/or arthritis, to discuss the incidence, characteristics, and treatment approaches of these cases in more detail.    Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who were treated for histologically confirmed IGM at our medical center between 2015 and 2022. Additionally, patients who exhibited concurrent symptoms of EN and arthritis were identified and grouped for further analysis of their treatment regimens and outcomes. Statistical comparisons were performed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests; a P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.   Results: Our general surgery clinic followed up with 153 patients diagnosed with IGM, who had a mean age of 38.2 ± (8.84) and were mostly women of reproductive age.  The definitive diagnosis was confirmed through incisional biopsy and core needle biopsies. EN was present in 31 (20.2%) patients, and inflammatory arthritis was present in 28 (18.3%) patients. In the 13 patients with this triple association, recurrence rates were higher despite a response to antibiotics and steroids.    Conclusion: IGM is a challenging disease to diagnose and manage due to its complexity. It can occur concomitantly with EN and arthritis, and we suspect its frequency is higher than previously anticipated. Recognizing these distinct entities emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing the condition.