Diabetic Mastopathy in a Patient with High Risk of Breast Carcinoma: A Management Dilemma

Diabetic mastopathy is a rare benign breast condition. It is strongly associated with type I diabetes mellitus and commonly presents similar to malignancy. Here, we report a case of a 29-year-old Saudi female with a long history of type I diabetes mellitus (DM) who presented with a painless hard breast mass and had a strong family history of breast cancer. Further evaluation with ultrasound (US) imaging revealed a highly suspicious, ill-defined hypoechoic lesion. Mammographic examination revealed that both breasts were of normal shape with bilateral dense glandular parenchyma. US-guided true-cut biopsy was carried out, which showed acellular fibro-sclerotic tissues with normal-looking lobules and ducts surrounding by a dense lymphocytic infiltrate. Subsequently, a diagnosis of diabetic mastopathy was established. Results were discussed with the patient, and an agreement was reached to proceed with an excisional biopsy for further reassurance and exclusion of malignancy. Local surgical excision of the lesion was performed and histopathological examination revealed extensive fibrosis of the specimen with no cellular atypia. Awareness of such a condition, with its clinical, radiographical, and histopathological characteristics, is essential in order to alleviate the patient's anxiety and avoid unnecessary surgical interventions.