Correlation Between Granulomatous Mastitis and Autoimmune Function and the Immune-regulating Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Abstract

Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a benign granulomatous condition, and its pathogenesis may be related to autoimmune disorders. Cellular immunity, humoral immunity, immunoglobulins, and complement could all play a role in the disease process, showing certain clinical patterns. Corticosteroids can quickly control disease progression, and immunosuppressants can be used for complex and refractory GM cases. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), “healthy qi” is similar to immune system function. For GM with deficient healthy qi, TCM treatments such as internal and external herbal applications can help regulate immune function and shorten disease duration by staged and TCM treatment, regulating viscera, reinforcing healthy qi, and eliminating pathogenic factors.