Malignancy mimicking mastitis

Abstract

Inflammatory breast carcinoma is a rare rapidly progressive form of breast carcinoma. The nature of lesion often mimics inflammatory lesions such as mastitis which leads to the delay in diagnosis and treatment. Here, we report a case of a young lactating female patient who presented with features of mastitis. However, fine-needle aspiration cytology and further histopathological examination of the core biopsy revealed it as carcinoma. The patient was then advised neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Thus, the awareness and recognition of this rare entity, which mimic various inflammatory and nonmalignant causes, are of utmost importance.