Monday, 15 March 2010

Imaging Features of Bilateral Lupus Mastitis

Imaging Features of Bilateral Lupus Mastitis
Yen-Chi Wang, Chen-Pin Chou, Robin B. Levenson, Pin-Pen Hsieh, Jer-Shyung Huang, Huay-Ben Pan
The Breast Journal 2010 16;2:203-4

Link to Journal

Lupus mastitis is a rare disease. Only a few cases with imaging findings have been reported. Women are affected by lupus mastitis more commonly than men, usually between the ages of 20 and 50 years. Lupus mastitis is known as chronic inflammation of the subcutaneous fat of the breast. The main mammographic finding is prominent coarse calcifications because of subcutaneous fat necrosis. Breast ultrasound may demonstrate hyperechoic foci representing calcifications, ill-defined echogenic areas, or breast masses.

In young female SLE patients showing mastalgia and coarse calcifications on mammography, lupus mastitis should be an important differential diagnosis consideration, as it can be managed medically.

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