Lin Weiyi, Wang Qiuzhou, Liu Jia, Tan Qiuwen
Division of Breast Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
Breast Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
Int J Womens Health. 2025 Jan 25;17:167-177. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S500846. eCollection 2025.
Corticosteroids are recommended as a first-line treatment for idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM), a disease that usually occurs in young women. Corticosteroid phobia is a fear of corticosteroids and one of the main reasons for poor treatment compliance. Despite the increasing recognition of corticosteroid phobia, there has been a lack of studies on this issue in IGM. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence and degree of corticosteroid phobia in IGM patients.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among IGM patients who were receiving treatment at West China Hospital between June 2023 and December 2023. A modified version of Topical Corticosteroid Phobia Scale (TOPICOP) was used to assess the prevalence and degree of corticosteroid phobia in patients with IGM. Sources of drug information were also identified. Scores were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Independent -test was used to compare the TOPICOP item scores between different categorical variables.
A total of 50 IGM patients were included in the present study. The median global TOPICOP score was 61.29 ± 11.71%. About 80% of patients represented with severe phobia, which their global TOPICOP score was above 50.0%. About 50% of participants showed fear of adverse effect of oral corticosteroids. About 89.6% of participants who received corticosteroid treatment showed their well to adhere to the doctor's advice. IGM patients with systemic symptoms were associated with higher scores in the behavior domain and/or global TOPICOP. Young, low educated, and unemployed individuals were more likely to have corticosteroid phobia (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the scores based on skin redness, abscess formation, ulcer or fistula, initial treatment choice, or monthly household income. Medical professionals were the primary sources of information about corticosteroid.
Corticosteroid phobia was highly prevalent among the women with IGM, as well as the high treatment adherence. Women showed a high preference for non-corticosteroid therapies as alternative therapies. Providing more comprehensive and professional knowledge by physicians might be an effective method to attenuate corticosteroid phobia.
皮质类固醇被推荐作为特发性肉芽肿性乳腺炎（IGM）的一线治疗方法，该病通常发生于年轻女性。皮质类固醇恐惧症是对皮质类固醇的恐惧，也是治疗依从性差的主要原因之一。尽管对皮质类固醇恐惧症的认识日益增加，但IGM领域缺乏关于此问题的研究。本研究旨在调查IGM患者中皮质类固醇恐惧症的患病率和程度。
于2023年6月至2023年12月在中国西部医院接受治疗的IGM患者中进行横断面调查。使用改良版的外用皮质类固醇恐惧症量表（TOPICOP）评估IGM患者中皮质类固醇恐惧症的患病率和程度。还确定了药物信息来源。分数以平均值±标准差表示。采用独立样本t检验比较不同分类变量之间的TOPICOP项目得分。
本研究共纳入50例IGM患者。TOPICOP量表总体得分中位数为61.29±11.71%。约80%的患者表现为严重恐惧，其TOPICOP量表总体得分高于50.0%。约50%的参与者表现出对口服皮质类固醇不良反应的恐惧。约89.6%接受皮质类固醇治疗的参与者表示能很好地遵守医生建议。有全身症状的IGM患者在行为领域和/或TOPICOP量表总体得分更高。年轻、低学历和失业个体更易患皮质类固醇恐惧症（p<0.05）。基于皮肤发红、脓肿形成、溃疡或瘘管、初始治疗选择或家庭月收入，得分无差异。医学专业人员是皮质类固醇信息的主要来源。
皮质类固醇恐惧症在IGM女性患者中高度流行，且治疗依从性较高。女性对非皮质类固醇疗法作为替代疗法表现出高度偏好。医生提供更全面和专业的知识可能是减轻皮质类固醇恐惧症的有效方法。
