What is already known about this topic? What does this article add?
Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a recurrent, chronic, nonspecific inflammatory disease of the breast, affecting mostly women of child-bearing age. It usually presents with a firm solitary mass associated with inflammatory skin lesions. Simple drainages, broad spectrum antibiotics and systemic corticosteroids are the mainstay of the treatment, but even the granulomatous mass might get smaller or disappear, skin lesions can still persist after treatment. St John’s wort (SJW) is a herbal remedy, extracted from the flowers and leaves of the plant Hypericum perforatum and has been used over many centuries as a traditional medicine for wound healing. However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical study evaluating the efficacy of topical SJW oil macerates on the intractable skin lesions of IGM. Preliminary results are highly promising.
Reflective questions
-How come St John’s oil has all of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activities?
-Why we call hypericum perforatum as St. John’s wort? Any historical event?
-What are the effects of SJW on skin wounds?
-What are the choices of middle-aged sexually active woman with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM)-related intractable skin lesions and scars? Any herbal choice?