Mammary tuberculosis: rare but still present in the United Kingdom

Mammary tuberculosis (TB) is rare and usually affects women from the Indian sub-continent and Africa. It may be mistaken clinically for carcinoma or p yogenic abscess. Tuberculosis (particularly drug-resistant TB) is on the in crease in areas of the UK with rising numbers of immigrants, some of whom m ay present with breast lesions of uncertain aetiology. Between 1978 and 199 7 there were 436 cases of TB notified for Indian Sub-continent females aged 15-49 years in Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, Lancashire, UK. Ten cases were mammary TB (10/436 = 2.3%) which was clinically suspected in onl y three patients preoperatively, despite the area having large numbers of i mmigrants. Mammary TB should be included in the differential diagnosis of b reast lesions in women from those ethnic groups at increased risk of TB. Pu s and/or breast tissue samples should be subjected to TB culture and histol ogical examination for both diagnosis of TB and determination of drug sensi tivities.