Imaging of tubercular mastitis presenting as recurrent breast nodules and abscesses: a rare case report

Background Tubercular mastitis could be a rare diagnostic find clinically. It is largely seen in Asian, African and alternative non-developed countries and might occur with coincident primary tuberculosis of the respiratory tract or spine. Primary breast tuberculosis (TB) is even rarer and presents with non-specific clinical signs of continual breast masses, inflammation and sinus tracts. It can be similar to bacterial inflammation/abscess and malignant pathologies on imaging. The key to identification could be a holistic combination of imaging, clinical, biochemical and histopathological analysis.Case presentation We discuss a case of a 41-year-old lady who conferred at the start with tender breast nodules that progressed to continual, multiple abscesses and sinus tract formation. It had been an unusual and unanticipated presentation in breast followed by uncommon events throughout the course of the treatment forcing us to re-evaluate the primary diagnosis. A sequence of multiple diagnostic imaging and histopathological evaluations confirmed the identification of tubercular mastitis. Following prolonged treatment, there was vital reduction within the range and size of nodules and abscesses.Conclusions Such cases imitate bacterial abscess and cancer in their clinical presentation and imaging findings and are imperative to be diagnosed via a myriad of diagnostic tests with histopathology. Such a clinical presentation should warrant a differential of granulomatous inflammation of the breast in cases of non-responders to incision and drainage, prolonged antibiotic medical therapy and prolonged anti-tubercular treatment up to twenty four months after assessment of the individual response.