Chapters authored
Sarcoid Involvement of the Mammary Gland
Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of unknown cause. Mammary involvement is rare, less than 1% of all cases. In addition, it makes necessary an appropriate differential diagnosis in order to rule out malignant pathology as the main diagnosis. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out different tests as mammography, ultrasound, and histological confirmation if necessary. When the diagnosis of mammary sarcoidosis is suspected by fine needle aspiration cytology, exceptional procedures should be also considered to examine for the possibility of a coexisting carcinoma. In such cases, excisional biopsy or resection is strongly recommended. There are some cases of mammary sarcoidosis associated with breast cancer. Breast cancer may develop in patients with sarcoidosis, sarcoidosis may develop in patients with breast cancer, the two diseases may develop in tandem, or breast cancer may induce a sarcoidosis-like granulomatous response. Sarcoidosis is possibly linked to silicone gel breast implants. The silicone might cause a sarcoidlike reaction as the result of an acceleration of an already existing hypersensitivity response, resulting in mammary sarcoidosis. The management of sarcoidosis in the breast usually is an excisional biopsy. At the same time, we confirm diagnosis and the treatment is done. The prognosis of mammary sarcoidosis remains unknown.
Part of the book: Sarcoidosis and Granulomatosis