Imaging manifestations and treatment efficacy of Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis: An analysis of 29 cases with internal and external traditional Chinese medicine approaches.

OBJECTIVES

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we analysed the clinical manifestations of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) before and after treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study. Clinical manifestations and imaging features of patients with biopsy-proven GLM before and after treatment were retrospectively analysed from April 2021 to April 2023 at Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

RESULTS

Among 29 women of childbearing age (mean age, 34.3±3.6 years), Compared to pre-therapy, the number of patients with lumps, ruptures, pain, and menstrual irregularities was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The Chinese medicine staging demonstrated a transition from bulk to ulcerated (P=0.041). Pre- and post-treatment MRI changes included lesion number, distribution, maximal diameter, time-signal intensity curves (TIC), apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC), and BI-RADS categories 3 and 4a (all P<0.05). Furthermore, substantial changes were seen in chest wall invasion, nipple discharge, increased feeding arteries, and skin edema (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Combining internal and external Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy proved successful for GLM. A reliable assessment of therapy efficacy is provided by MRI examination of lesion changes before and after treatment.