Primary breast tuberculosis in a man: a case report

Abstract

The breast tuberculosis accounts for 0.06 to 0.1% of extra-pulmonary localizations. Frequent in women, it remains exceptional in men. We report a rare case of primary breast tuberculosis occurring in a male patient. A 33-years-old patient presented with a chronic and fistulized non-inflammatory-right breast swelling with an atrophic cutaneous ulceration. The thoracic CT was in favor of a right breast abscess with a thick wall. The patient had received non-specific antibiotics (amoxicillin-clavulanate and metronidazole) for 10 days coupled with a surgical drainage before consulting us for persisting symptoms. The culture of the pus was sterile, the GeneXpert and the search for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) both performed on the swab of the ulceration were negative. Histopathological analysis of the lesion was in favor of a granulomatous mastitis. Given the chronic and atrophic nature of the ulceration, the histological aspect of granulomatous mastitis and the persisting symptoms despite the non-specific antibiotic therapy, we made a presumptive diagnostic of breast tuberculosis. The evolution was favorable with oral anti-tuberculosis treatment.