title: Toxoplasma lymphadenitis mimicking malign axillary lymphadenopathy of a left breast mass.
abstract: Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Immunocompetent persons with primary infection are usually asymptomatic, but latent infection can persist for the life of the host. There is a risk of reactivating infection at a later time should the individual become immunocompromised, even if infection was asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic initially. Axillary lymph nodes receive 85% of the lymphatic drainage from the breast. Lymph node metastases are relatively common even with invasive breast cancers ≤1 cm in size. Here, we report a case of toxoplasma lymphadenitis in a female adult patient mimicking a malign breast lymphadenopathy of a left breast mass.
authors.affiliation: Turkish Ministry of Health, Ankara Diskapi Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. dralicihat@yahoo.com.tr
authors.forename: Ali Cihat
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bostanci
authors.forename: Engin Deniz
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Nizamettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kutluer
authors.forename: Hulagu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kargici
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis*