Diabetic Mastopathy Diagnosis and Management
Summary
Diabetic mastopathy is a rare, benign breast disorder characterised by dense fibrosis and lymphocytic infiltration in patients with long-standing diabetes, most frequently type 1. Clinically and radiologically, it often mimics malignancy, presenting as a firm, painless mass with extensive acoustic shadowing on ultrasound and asymmetric densities on mammography. Definitive diagnosis rests on histopathological examination demonstrating keloid-like stromal hyalinisation, lobular atrophy and periductal lymphocytic aggregates. Core needle biopsy has become the preferred diagnostic approach, reducing the need for open surgical excision. Management is predominantly conservative, focusing on regular imaging surveillance and symptomatic relief. Surgical intervention is reserved for persistent diagnostic uncertainty or patient preference, recognising a notable risk of lesion recurrence. Emerging insights into autoimmune mechanisms and associations with other endocrinopathies underscore the need for multidisciplinary care and long-term monitoring, although current evidence does not indicate an increased overall risk of breast carcinoma.
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Diabetic Mastopathy Diagnosis and Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in diabetic mastopathy diagnosis and management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Diabetic mastopathy: A benign breast condition in diabetic patients marked by dense stromal fibrosis and lymphoid infiltration that often mimics carcinoma clinically and radiologically.
Core needle biopsy: A minimally invasive procedure using a hollow needle to obtain tissue cores from a breast lesion for histological diagnosis.
BI-RADS: Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, a standardised classification for mammographic and ultrasound findings indicating the level of suspicion for malignancy.
Lymphocytic infiltrate: Aggregates of lymphocytes within breast tissue, signifying an immune-mediated inflammatory response.
Fibro-inflammatory: Describes tissue characterised by both fibrous scarring and inflammatory cell infiltration.
References
- Diabetic Mastopathy: A Monocentric Study to Explore This Uncommon Breast Disease. Diagnostics (2024).
- Diabetic Mastopathy. Review of Diagnostic Methods and Therapeutic Options. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021).
- Mammography and Ultrasonography Manifestations of Sclerosing Lymphocytic Lobulitis of the Breast: A Series of Seven Case Reports. Current Medical Imaging Formerly Current Medical Imaging Reviews (2023).
- Diabetic mastopathy: about two cases (case report). Pan African Medical Journal (2024).
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