Nonnecrotizing systemic granulomatous panniculitis involving the breast: imaging correlation of a breast cancer mimicker.

摘要

Panniculitis is an inflammatory process of the subcutaneous tissue. Immunologic, traumatic, metabolic, paraneoplastic, and infectious causes have been implicated, and in some cases, the condition is idiopathic . Panniculitis typically involves the subcutaneous tissue of the lower extremities but can affect fat tissue in other locations, such as the viscera. Breast involvement is rare and can be mistaken for cancer at clinical examination and on imaging studies. Most of the cases of breast involvement described in the literature have been reported as a component of Weber-Christian disease [2, 3]. We report the clinical, mammographic, sonographic, and MRI features and course of disease of a patient with chronic nonnecrotizing systemic panniculitis affecting the breasts.