A Case of Successful Treatment of Breast Edema with Goreisan in a 91-year-old Woman

Abstract

A 91-year-old woman visited a nearby clinic due to pain and swelling in the right breast that started three weeks prior. As no improvement was observed with antibiotic treatment, she was referred to our hospital. She presented with swelling of the right breast and redness of the areola without obvious palpable mass. Mammogram showed increased density of the tissue and thickening of the skin of the right breast. Breast ultrasonography revealed thickening of the skin, edema of the fatty tissue and obscure mammary gland tissue. Needle biopsy was performed to differentiate inflammatory breast cancer but no malignant findings were observed. As there was no findings suggestive of heart failure, Goreisan was administered without concomitant administration of diuretics. Improvement in edema was observed, although gradually, and no difference was observed between the right and left breast 12 months after initiation of the therapy. We report a case of breast edema successfully treated with Goreisan along with a review of literature.