Synchronous Tuberculosis and Breast Cancer Metastasis in Axillary Lymph Nodes: A Case Report

Abstract

Synchronous presence of tuberculosis and breast cancer metastasis in axillary lymph nodes is rare. Tuberculosis ranks as the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide, after the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV). We present here a case report of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the left breast with axillary lymphadenitis harbouring both tuberculosis and metastatic cancer cells from breast cancer at the same time. Simultaneous presence of both diseases make treatment difficult as tuberculosis require long course of anti-tuberculosis drugs and reduces patient compliance. In this case, breast cancer was treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and axillary lymph nodal tuberculosis was treated by antituberculosis drugs.