title: Contralateral contiguous tuberculous lymphadenitis in a case of right breast carcinoma--Diagnostic dilemma.
abstract: Coexistence of tuberculosis (TB) in the breast or axillary lymph nodes with breast carcinoma though rare is not unknown. A 55-year-old woman presented with right axillary and left supraclavicular lymphadenopathies with no detectable lesion in either breasts or left axilla. Right axillary lymph node excision biopsy revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Diagnostic workup showed intense fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid lymph nodes on the left side neck at level V, supraclavicular, axillary, subpectoral and para-aortic regions, and low FDG activity in the right breast. Core biopsy of right breast lesion was reported as invasive ductal carcinoma and cytology of multiple left axillary lymphadenopathies as reactive hyperplasia. Excision biopsy of the supraclavicular lymph nodes unveiled the diagnosis of TB. She underwent right-modified radical mastectomy followed by external beam radiotherapy, has completed antituberculous treatment and is on follow-up. Extrapulmonary TB though uncommon; may be found in certain cases. Clinicians must be aware of its existence.
authors.forename: Tanmoy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Apollo Gleneagles Hospital Limited, EM Bypass, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Moujhuri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nandi
authors.forename: Soumya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: Enam Murshed
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18