Further Characterization of Clinicopathologic Features of Cystic Neutrophilic Granulomatous Mastitis

Objectives: Clinical and demographic features of cystic neutrophilic granulomatous mastitis (CNGM) have not been fully explored due to the rarity of the disease. Herein we studied clinicopathologic characteristics of CNGM in a sizable hospital-based cohort.

Methods: A case-control study was performed to compare clinicopathologic characteristics between patients with CNGM and granulomatous mastitis other than CNGM and between CNGM with and without Corynebacterium identification.

Results: Cases of CNGM (n = 31) and non-CNGM (n = 30) were included. Compared with the non-CNGM group, patients with CNGM were statistically significantly younger (median age: 38 vs 43 years), were less likely to be smokers (9% vs 40%), were more likely to have a painful lesion (97% vs 77%) or a larger mass-like lesion (median size: 4.6 vs 1.9 cm), and tended to have a higher Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System score in radiologic studies (score ≥4: 81% vs 53%), positive Corynebacterium identification results (36% vs 0%), and a longer resolving time (12 vs 6 months; all P values for above comparisons <.05). Among CNGM cases, patients with and without Corynebacterium identification shared a similar clinicopathologic profile.

Conclusions: Our study further demonstrated that CNGM is a unique infectious disease with distinct clinicopathologic features.