Abstract:

Breast tuberculosis is a form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Although its overall incidence is low, it is characterized by nonspecific clinical manifestations and imaging features, making it prone to confusion with diseases such as breast cancer and granulomatous mastitis. This often leads to a high rate of misdiagnosis and significant local tissue destruction. In recent years, the incidence of breast tuberculosis has shown an upward trend due to the increasing population of immunocompromised individuals. Currently, there is a lack of specific guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of breast tuberculosis both domestically and internationally; clinical practice largely relies on general principles for extrapulmonary tuberculosis, which presents certain limitations. To standardize the clinical management of breast tuberculosis, the Jiangxi Chest Hospital/Jiangxi Provincial Health and Health Commission Key Laboratory of Tuberculosis, the Chinese Antituberculosis Association, and Guangzhou National Laboratory, in collaboration with multidisciplinary clinical experts, have formulated this consensus based on the GRADE system and the Delphi method. This consensus systematically elucidates the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, and imaging and pathological features of breast tuberculosis. It clarifies stratified diagnostic criteria, underscores the pivotal role of etiological and molecular biological examinations in definitive diagnosis, and proposes a comprehensive treatment strategy anchored in standardized anti-tuberculosis therapy and supplemented by individualized surgical intervention. This consensus aims to provide clinicians with evidence-based guidance to enhance the early recognition, precise diagnosis, and treatment of breast tuberculosis, thereby improving patient prognosis.

Key words: Breast tuberculosis, Diagnosis, Therapeutics, Consensus development conferences as topic