Cysticercosis of the Breast, a Rare Imaging Finding

Abstract

Parasitic infection of the breast is rare, especially in cases of cysticercosis. This disease is acquired by ingestion of tapeworm eggs in contaminated food and water supplies or from hands improperly washed after a bowel movement. Diagnosis is usually made incidentally. We report a patient with cysticercosis of the breast. The patient was a 63-year-old woman who had no clinical manifestations, but cysticercus was observed to cause calcifications detected by mammography. Computed tomography demonstrated brain lesions. A definitive diagnosis of cysticercosis was made by demonstration of characteristic calcified larvae. The definitive diagnosis was confirmed by excisional surgery.

Parasitic infection of the male breast

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first confirmed case report of cysticercosis affecting the male breast from a developed country. Similar to the findings in our case, reported histological features of mammary cysticercosis include a three-layered structure with an outer cuticular layer, a middle cellular layer and an inner fibrillar layer with a dense inflammatory reaction in the surrounding stroma which commonly contains histiocytes and eosinophils 6 8. The host manifests an inflammatory reaction once the cyst starts to degenerate, and old cysts in which the parasite has died commonly calcify 2…”

Isolated cysticercosis of the breast masquerading as a breast tumour: report of a case and review of literature

“…There was no specific feature to suggest parasitic infestation in their case (Sinha et al, 2008). Lucarelli et al reported a tubular worm-like appearance suggestive of calcified larvae in the intermuscular area of the pectoral major (Lucarelli et al, 2008). In our case, the architecture of the breast parenchyma was well preserved.…”

Detection of a Case of Cysticercosis of the Breast: A Case Report

“…Sending in the patient for mammography is the instinctive next step in establishing a diagnosis. In our patient, mammography showed no distinctive features suggesting cysticercosis, but in a few patients, it can show calcified larvae [9]. High-resolution ultrasound, on the other hand, can be an invaluable tool to diagnose cysticercosis.…”