Surgically Treated Tuberculous Abscess of the Breast Progressing to the Abdominal Wall—A Case Report and Literature Review—

Abstract

This report presents a case of a 48-year-old woman who experienced chronic cough without having been diagnosed with tuberculosis or atypical mycobacteria infections. The patient presented with a one-year history of masses exposed to reddish skin of the right breast. She has a prominent family history of breast cancer. One of her sisters suffered from breast cancer with a germline mutation in BRCA2, therefore the masses were suspected to be advanced breast cancers. A thoracoabdominal computed tomography image revealed linear opacities of the lung parenchymal lesion and the continuity of the breast abscess to abdominal wall via the thoracic cavity. Therefore, we considered that the lesion could be the tuberculosis abscess of the breast penetrating to the thoracic cavity and progressing to the abdominal wall. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from a culture of sputum. The final diagnosis of tuberculous abscess of the breast was made.

In Japan tuberculosis is on the trend of decrease and breast tuberculosis is a relatively rare manifestation, however, it is still necessary to keep in mind that there is a possibility of extrapulmonary tuberculosis for breast nodules or abscesses.

We herein report this case and provide a review of the pertinent literature.