title: Breast filariasis or inflammatory breast carcinoma? Reaching a diagnosis.
abstract: Lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasite Wuchereria bancrofti. Involvement of the breast is relatively uncommon and may affect only 10% of individuals with lymphatic filariasis. We present a case of an elderly woman with breast pathology. The condition clinically appeared as a malignancy. Routine diagnostic tests including tissue histopathological studies failed to clinch a diagnosis. However, a serological test helped in identifying the pathology, which turned out to be a manifestation of breast filariasis, and aided in instituting appropriate therapy for this condition.
authors.affiliation: Sanaria Laboratory, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India.
authors.forename: Dwijesh Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India.
authors.forename: Devi Prasad
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mohapatra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, JIPMER, Pondicherry, India.
authors.forename: Madhusmita Mohanty
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mohapatra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001365:Axilla / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001940:Breast / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D058922:Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008327:Mammography; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012698:Serologic Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014958:Wuchereria bancrofti / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D005369:Filaricides; D015242:Ofloxacin; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine