Imaging manifestations and treatment efficacy of Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis: An analysis of 29 cases with internal and external traditional Chinese medicine approaches.

Objectives: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we analysed the clinical manifestations of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) before and after treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Methods: This was a retrospective study. Clinical manifestations and imaging features of patients with biopsy-proven GLM before and after treatment were retrospectively analysed from April 2021 to April 2023 at Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.

Results: Among 29 women of childbearing age (mean age, 34.3±3.6 years), Compared to pre-therapy, the number of patients with lumps, ruptures, pain, and menstrual irregularities was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The Chinese medicine staging demonstrated a transition from bulk to ulcerated (P=0.041). Pre- and post-treatment MRI changes included lesion number, distribution, maximal diameter, time-signal intensity curves (TIC), apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC), and BI-RADS categories 3 and 4a (all P<0.05). Furthermore, substantial changes were seen in chest wall invasion, nipple discharge, increased feeding arteries, and skin edema (all P<0.05).

Conclusion: Combining internal and external Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy proved successful for GLM. A reliable assessment of therapy efficacy is provided by MRI examination of lesion changes before and after treatment.