Granulomatous inflammation of the breast in a pregnant woman - Report of acase with fine needle aspiration diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Granulomatous inflammation of the breast is an inflammatory pro cess with multiple etiologies. It can accompany breast carcinoma or be idio pathic. It often presents clinically in a fashion mimicking carcinoma. Idio pathic granulomatous mastitis is strongly associated with lactation and is reported to occur in postpartum patients. This is the second fine needle as piration (FNA) report of idiopathic granulomatous inflammation in [lie brea st of a pregnant woman. CASE: A 27-year-old, 7-month-pregnant woman presented with a hard nodule in her right breast; on ultrasound examination it showed mixed echogenicity, suspicious for carcinoma. FNA showed granulomatous inflammation. The smears were highly cellular, with many clusters of and single epithelioid cells d isplaying moderate pleomorphism and prominent nucleoli in a background comp osed of neutrophils, plasma cells, lymphocytes and multinucleated cells. Co re needle biopsy revealed a nonnecrotizing, granulomatous lesion. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of granulomatous inflammation can be challenging, and the cytologic features can be difficult to separate from those of carc inoma, The relatively rare occurrence of this lesion and its cytologic feat ures make it a potentially difficult diagnosis and diagnostic pitfall.