A rare case of hydatid cyst in the breast in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Dr Venkatesh Vikram H C,Dr Manasa S

doi:10.17511/ijoso.2020.i04.10

Abstract

Hydatid disease is a well-known entity since the era of Hippocrates. Although breast is one of the rare sites for the occurrence of hydatid disease, it has been well evaluated with the various newer imaging modalities and its imaging features are well described in the literature. A 41-year-old female presented with a painless well-defined lump in the right breast without any history of pain, trauma, discharge from the nipple, fever, or drug misuse. This case was diagnosed preoperatively by FNAC, ultrasound, and was confirmed by surgery. Hydatid disease of the breast should form the part of the differential diagnosis of cystic diseases of the breast especially in an endemic country like India. Awareness of this entity can make the pre-operative diagnosis even without cytological examination, which is very helpful in the management of the patient.

Highlights

The hydatic disease is a severe, potentially lethal disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus larvae
A 41-year-old woman from Raichur district presented with a lump in the right breast without any family history of carcinoma breast
A hydatid cyst is usually not included in the differential diagnosis of breast lumps due to its rarity, even in endemic areas

Summary

Introduction

The hydatic disease is a severe, potentially lethal disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus larvae. E. granulosus is a hermaphrodite flatworm with three stages of development. The structure of the cyst is usually made of three components: the pericyst, made of the host’s inflammatory tissue, the exocyst and the Endocyst, where the scolecs and the proligere membrane are produced [3, 4]. This is encountered endemically in sheep breeding communities. The oncospheres, which are ingested, penetrate the intestinal mucosa, enter the bloodstream, and develop into hydatid cysts. The breast is a very rare site of hydatid cyst that accounts for only 0.27% of all cases [8]

Ethical Approval Yes

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Discussion

Conclusion