LYMPHOCYTIC MASTITIS

Lymphocytic mastitis is a non infectious inflammatory disease of the b reast with lobulocentric lymphocytic infiltrate of variable intensity, collagenous fibrosis and progressive lobular atrophy. The pathogenesi s of lymphocytic mastitis is still unknown but some recent reports hav e suggested an autoimmune origin. We investigated a series of 10 cases by immune histochemistry and we collected patients' biologic data. Th e most striking histologic feature was a prominent lobulocentric strom al or intraepithelial lymphocytic infiltrate. Occasionally, the infilt rate was perivascular and nodular along the lobule border. B and T lym phocytes, both demonstrated by immunophenotypic analysis, were shown w ith a particular pattern of distribution. Pathologists must be aware o f this disease in order to recommend immunological investigation.