title: Breast infection due to Dirofilaria repens: report of two new Italian cases and revision of the literature.
abstract: Two new cases of human dirofilariasis, occurred in women aged 46 and 52 years, respectively, both living in Lombardy (Northern Italy) are reported. Dirofilaria repens nematodes were localised in the breast in both cases. In one of them the parasite was accidentally extracted while the patient underwent a fine needle aspirate. The international literature records 30 cases of breast Dirofilariasis. Except in rare cases, the parasite was located subcutaneously in the breast, and nested in a nodule. The clinical diagnoses were consistently wrong, the nodule being diagnosed as a suspected tumor of the breast.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Patologia Animale, Università di Bologna, Milano.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pampiglione
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Palma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartoli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001940:Breast / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004182:Dirofilaria; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008413:Mastitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged