Clinical Trends in Granulomatous Mastitis Incidence, Prevalence, and Treatment: A Retrospective Study Highlighting Ethnic Differences in Care

Introduction: This study focuses on granulomatous mastitis (GM), a rare inflammatory condition of the breast that has been increasingly diagnosed over the recent years. This research attempts to understand the incidence and prevalence of GM and its treatments. Methods: This is a retrospective study over 9 y (January 2015-December 2023). We utilized the anonymized data collected by TriNetX Analytic Network, a global federated health research network. The database was queried for patients diagnosed with GM and 3058 patients were returned. The incidence and prevalence of GM by age, race, and ethnicity were analyzed. The most common treatments for GM (antibiotics, steroids, incision and drainage, breast excision, and methotrexate) were analyzed. Results: Hispanic and Latinos have a six-fold increased likelihood of developing GM compared to their non-Hispanic and non-Latino counterparts (0.006% compared to 0.001%). Treatment approaches reveal that antibiotics are the primary choice, while methotrexate is less commonly used. Antibiotics showed no significant differences between Hispanics and Latinos when compared to non-Hispanics and non-Latinos. Steroids showed a decreased prevalence in Hispanics and Latinos (P < 0.05). Incision and drainage showed an increased incidence in Hispanics and Latinos (P < 0.05). Excision showed no significant differences between the two groups. Methotrexate showed a higher incidence of usage among Hispanics and Latinos (P < 0.05). Conclusions: GM has the highest incidence and prevalence among Hispanics and Latinos. Despite that, the treatments do not directly reflect these differences which underscore the need for personalized treatment strategies, particularly among Hispanic or Latino populations, and underscores the importance of further research to elucidate contributing factors to these differences.