SRS131 - Establishing national guidance for idiopathic granulomatous MAstitis (ENIGMA)
Abstract Background Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a rare, benign breast disease characterised by granulomatous inflammation. Current literature mainly comprises of small-sized retrospective studies with no well-designed clinical trials and limited representation of UK population. With no consensus to guide clinical practice there is a significant risk of delayed diagnosis and variation in management strategies that may adversely affect patient outcomes Methods ENIGMA is a multi-stage programme of work aiming to develop guidelines for the diagnosis and management of IGM in the UK. A scoping review will assess the range and quality of existing evidence, focusing on its relevance to UK practice. Findings from this review will inform a national practice questionnaire (NPQ) to capture current approaches to IGM care across the UK. These data, combined with a modified Delphi process involving experts and stakeholders, will support guideline development and help define priority research questions to advance best practice. Progress The scoping review identified 225 papers, involving 13 062 patients, mostly from Turkey, the USA, and China. Only three studies, covering 25 patients, originated from the UK. Commonly reported ethnic groups were Hispanic and Turkish. Risk factors include smoking and hormonal influences such as oestrogen and prolactin. Reported treatment strategies range from conservative approaches to medical therapies (antibiotics, steroids, immunosuppressants) and surgical interventions (drainage or excision). Preliminary results of the NPQ highlight substantial heterogeneity in UK diagnostic and management practices. Once the NPQ analysis is complete, the working group will initiate the Delphi process to establish consensus and inform guideline development.
Authors
- Roisin Bradley
- Rute Castelhano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9047-2276)
- Rudresh Shukla
- Christopher Darlow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5400-3413)
- Claudia Mackean
- Kavita Sethi
- Daniel Ahari
- Karina Cox
- N. Sharma
- Emma MacInnes
- Goonj Johri
- Cliona Kirwan
- Iain Lyburn
- Shaneel Shah
- Vijay Sharma
- Leah Argus
Institutions
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (GB)
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (GB)
- Princess Anne Hospital (GB)
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Countess of Chester Hospital (GB)
- Nightingale Hospital (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- British journal of surgery
- Published
- 2026-03-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znag018.127
- Primary Topic
- Breast Lesions and Carcinomas
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00