TUBERCULOUS MASTITIS IN A PATIENT WITH LU PUS VULGARIS

We report the rare case of granulomatous tuberculous mastitis based on lupus vulgaris in a 73-year-old female patient. The most important di agnostic procedure was the detection of mycobacterial DNA-sequences in paraffin-embedded tissues using the polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR). A combined antituberculous therapy lead to complete remission within 1 4 months after the diagnosis was established. The incidence of tubercu lous mastitis among surgically treated lesions of the breast is less t han 0.025 percent. Because of the frequent localisation of this diseas e in the upper outer quadrant of the breast and suspicious findings in mammography, tuberculous mastitis is one, even if rare, differential diagnosis for breast cancer.