Imaging diagnosis of breast tuberculosis

To evaluate the radiologic findings of breast tuberculosis. The authors evaluated the radiologic findings of five cases of surgically confirmed tuberculosis of the breast. Patients were examined with mammography (n=5), ultrasonography (n=3), and MRI (n=2). All patients were female. Four patients had unilateral lesion and the remaining one patient had bilateral breast tuberculosis. Mammographic findings were mainly radiopaque mass density without secondary signs. Two patients showed secondary signs such as skin thickening, parenchymal distortion, and nipple retraction. Ultrasonographic findings were variable but helpful in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesion, MRI findings were more helpful in differentiating abscess from malignant lesions. Radiologic findings were useful to diagnose tuberculosis of the breast, but fine needle aspiration biopsy and culture were needed for suspicious radiologic findings