The clinical and histological features of six cases of granulomatous lobular mastitis are presented. All six patients were parous. 1-6 years after their last pregnancy with a mean age of 34 years; all had unilateral disease and presented with an extra-areolar breast lump. Histologically, all demonstrated a non-caseating granulomatous inflammatory condition centered on breast lobules; in four women there was an acute inflammatory process with micro-abscess formation. Five of the six cases had persistent or recurrent disease despite wide local excision: surgery might not be the best treatment for recurrent disease.