Breast tuberculosis (TB) is rare among extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases, and the diagnosis is usually preceded by a high index of suspicion and findings of granulomatous lesions. We conducted this study to evaluate different clinical presentations of breast TB, including its diagnosis and association with lactation. We also examined the association of breast TB with TB elsewhere in the body and contact history. This prospective, descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan from March 2017 to March 2019. The study population consisted of 100 women of age ranging from 30 to 39 years after 10 patients were lost to follow-up. After providing informed written consent and a histopathology or culture report, participants completed a proforma. We used IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) to analyze the data, which were kept confidential. Twenty-four patients had diabetes, while 36 patients had no comorbidities. The most consistent symptoms were breast pain (98%), breast lump (89%), fever (83%), and discharge (45%). Of the 100 women, 34 were diagnosed with TB, while 66 women had nonspecific inflammation. Sixty-nine women were lactating, and 31 were nonlactating. Of the 69 lactating women, 21 had been diagnosed with TB while 48 had nonspecific inflammation. TB represents a great burden in underdeveloped countries like Pakistan. Therefore, concerned departments must take necessary action to facilitate early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.