ObjectiveTo investigate the research progress of etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM). MethodA comprehensive analysis was conducted by reviewing the domestic and foreign literatures on GLM and combining with clinical experience. ResultsGLM was a relatively rare chronic inflammatory disease of the breast, and the number of patients had been increasing in recent years. It mainly occured in multiparous women of childbearing age. Clinically, it was characterized by a hard breast mass with or without redness and pain, and severe cases might be accompanied by nodular erythema and arthritis. Bacterial infection, especially Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii and autoimmunity were considered to be the main causes of GLM. The diagnosis of GLM needed to combine with medical history, clinical manifestations, histopathological findings, imaging findings, and laboratory tests. A multidisciplinary team for diagnosis and treatment of GLM should be established to improve the diagnostic accuracy and reduce misdiagnosis. At present, the treatment methods for GLM were mainly conservative treatment and surgical treatment, including follow-up observation, antibiotic treatment, glucocorticoid treatment, immunosuppressive therapy, surgical treatment, traditional Chinese medicine treatment, and combined treatment. ConclusionsAt present, the incidence of GLM is on the rise, but its etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear. The diagnosis needs to combine with many aspects, and it is recommended that the multidisciplinary team could improve the accuracy of diagnosis. There is still no unified standard for the selection and timing of treatment. Clinicians’ experience and patients’ wishes should be taken into account when choosing treatment options in clinical practice. Prospective and high-quality multicenter clinical trials and evidence-based medicine practice are still needed to further improve diagnosis and treatment of GLM.