Tuberculosis of the mammary glands is a rather rare disease, which is explained by the high resistance of breast tissues to the mycobacteria that cause tuberculosis, and therefore only a few hospitals have proven treatment and diagnostic protocols. The Israeli clinic Top Ichilov is one of them. It has everything necessary for competent therapy of this dangerous pathology: highly qualified mammologists, innovative drugs, and high-tech equipment.
Treatment of tuberculosis of the mammary glands in Israel, with patient reviews indicating its high effectiveness, allows not only to suppress the infection, halting the progression of the pathological process, safely remove the painful lump, and restore the aesthetic shape of the breast, but also to avoid the risk of transforming the tuberculosis lesion into breast cancer.
Treatment Methods for Tuberculosis of the Mammary Glands in Israel
Tuberculosis of the mammary glands rarely occurs in isolation – in most cases, it is secondary, representing a complication of tuberculosis affecting the lungs, bones, intestines, or spine. Typically, the pathological focus is localized in the lower or upper part of the outer quadrant of the breast; it is extremely rare to observe it in the central area, including the nipple-areolar complex, and in the internal structures of the gland.
There are five main forms of tuberculosis of the mammary glands, the most common of which is nodular, accompanied by a painful tumor-like formation in the breast tissues.
Treatment of tuberculosis of the mammary glands in Israel is determined based on its type, the extent of the pathological process, the presence of fistulas and purulent complications, the age of the patient, and many other factors. It can be conservative or surgical, but most often, the mammologists of the Top Ichilov medical complex use combined therapy.
Conservative therapy usually includes such methods of treating tuberculosis of the mammary glands in Israel:
- Medication therapy, involving the use of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapeutic agents that combat the bacteria causing tuberculosis: primarily, rifampicin, isoniazid, and ethambutol. In addition to specific chemotherapeutic agents, women with tuberculosis of the mammary glands are also prescribed vitamin complexes and immunostimulants to enhance the body's defense mechanisms.
- Physiotherapy, which may involve the use of ultrasound, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy, inductothermy, UHF therapy, ultraviolet local irradiation, and other procedures.
If the disease was detected at an early stage of development, conservative treatment may be sufficient for the regression of the pathological process and the complete recovery of the patient.
Surgical treatment is prescribed if conservative therapy did not yield the desired results, as well as in the presence of purulent complications. It involves the surgical removal of a conglomerate of caseous nodes formed in the breast tissues as a result of its tuberculosis infection. Specialists at the Top Ichilov clinic typically perform sectoral resection of the mammary gland: this is an organ-preserving operation, during which the tumor-like formation is excised along with a portion of the surrounding healthy tissues to ensure the complete removal of affected cells.
Such interventions in Israel are performed using minimally invasive techniques, most often laparoscopy. They are characterized by significantly less trauma compared to traditional surgical interventions, a low risk of postoperative complications, do not leave rough scars on the woman's body, and do not require prolonged recovery. If necessary, after surgical treatment of tuberculosis of the mammary gland, doctors perform reconstructive plastic surgery to restore the aesthetic shape of the breast.
In most cases, after the operation, doctors continue conservative treatment to expedite complete recovery and reduce the likelihood of disease recurrence to zero.
Even after treatment, women are advised to regularly consult a mammologist and undergo a course of anti-relapse therapy if necessary.
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Diagnosis of Tuberculosis of the Mammary Glands in Israel
Diagnosing tuberculosis of the breast can be challenging, primarily due to the variety of forms it manifests and their similarity to other pathologies of the mammary glands. Therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, specialists at the Top Ichilov medical center first conduct differential diagnostics, excluding diseases such as fibroadenoma, phlegmon, abscessing mastitis, regional lymphadenitis, actinomycosis, and scirrhous breast cancer. All tests are performed on modern ultra-sensitive equipment, ensuring high accuracy of the data.
Diagnosis of tuberculosis of the mammary glands in Israel typically takes 3–4 working days and is carried out in three stages.
Stage One: Consultation with a Mammologist
When the patient arrives in Israel, a personal curator meets her at the airport, who has a plan for her personal medical program. After checking into the hotel, she is accompanied directly to the clinic for a consultation with the leading mammologist. The doctor inquires whether the woman has been in contact with someone who has tuberculosis, whether she has had any form of this disease in the past, especially pleurisy accompanied by involvement of the intrathoracic lymph nodes. He then examines the affected mammary gland, paying attention to the presence of painful lumps, skin ulcers, openings of fistulous tracts, etc.
The doctor also assesses the condition of the axillary, cervical, and submandibular lymph nodes. After this, he compiles a list of additional diagnostic procedures.
Stage Two: Thorough Examination
During the next day, the patient undergoes all the diagnostic tests prescribed by the attending physician, including:
Mammography – a radiological examination of the mammary gland that allows for the detection of heterogeneous opacities with ragged contours, characteristic of tuberculosis lesions.- Ultrasound examination of the breast, through which the doctor identifies specific tuberculosis changes, studies the structure of tumor nodes, and determines the localization of fistulous tracts.
- Computed and Magnetic Resonance Imaging – used to obtain detailed information about the location, size, and other characteristics of pathological foci.
- Puncture biopsy, involving the collection of a sample of affected breast tissue and its subsequent cytological examination to identify fragments of tuberculosis granulomas.
- Microbiological examination of discharge from fistulous openings – performed in cases of purulent tuberculosis.
- Complete blood count, where attention is paid to the levels of leukocytes, erythrocytes, and hemoglobin.
- Tuberculin testing (Mantoux test).
Stage Three: Development of Treatment Strategy
After the examination is completed, a council is convened with the participation of doctors from various specialties – a mammologist, gynecologist, surgeon, and other specialists, who, based on the results of the conducted instrumental and laboratory studies, make the final diagnosis and decide on the optimal method of therapy.
Treatment of Tuberculosis of the Mammary Glands in Israel: Cost
The cost of treatment is calculated individually. It is influenced by many aspects, including the type of tuberculosis lesion, the extent of the specific process, the treatment regimens used, the type and number of diagnostic studies conducted, the cost of medications, the need for surgical intervention, and many others. Therefore, the final cost of treatment can only be provided by the doctors at the Top Ichilov hospital after conducting the necessary examinations, clarifying the diagnosis, and approving the therapeutic plan.
Overall, the prices for treating tuberculosis of the mammary glands in Israel remain among the most affordable: they are on average 30–50% lower than in clinics in Germany, Switzerland, America, and other countries with developed healthcare systems.
Five Reasons to Trust Your Treatment to the Top Ichilov Clinic
- First-class mammologists with high qualifications, extensive clinical experience, and the necessary skills for effective treatment of various pathologies of the mammary gland, including rare ones.
- Use of only proven therapeutic methods that have demonstrated their effectiveness and safety.
- Equipping the clinic with state-of-the-art medical and diagnostic equipment.
- Opportunity to receive professional treatment at a reasonable cost.
- Individual approach in developing the therapy regimen.