Granulomatous Mastitis in a Transgender Patient

Abstract

Granulomatous mastitis is a rare and benign inflammatory condition of the breast most commonly affecting women of child-bearing age as well as patients on oral contraceptives.  This condition is important to identify due to its diagnostic mimicry of malicious entities such as breast carcinoma.  Clinical and radiological findings are nonspecific and may overlap with breast carcinomas, thus pathologic confirmation is often necessary for definitive diagnosis. Although cases of granulomatous mastitis have been described in cisgender females, there have been no reported cases in the transgender patient, a growing patient population with few imaging guidelines.   Transgender patients are at risk of developing this breast entity due to the use of long-term hormone treatments or presence of residual breast tissue.  A trial of antibiotics or steroids may be administered. However, surgical treatment is often necessary in recurrent or refractory cases.