Tuberculosis of the chest wall: unusual presentation as a breast lump

Singapore Med J. 2009 Mar;50(3):e97-9.

Abstract

A 33-year-old woman presented with a painless right breast lump of four weeks' duration. There were no symptoms such as fever or night sweats. Mammogram revealed an elliptical lesion in the retromammary region. Ultrasonography showed a hypoechoeic collection deep in the right breast. As the lesion was localised to the chest wall, computed tomography of the thorax was performed. This confirmed a fluid collection in the right anterior chest wall and also bilateral upper lobe consolidations, suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis with an abscess in the anterior chest wall. Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy confirmed a Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. It is unusual for a tuberculous abscess of the chest wall to present as a painless breast lump. We also present a companion case of tuberculous mastitis to illustrate their distinct imaging features.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breast Diseases / diagnosis
  • Breast Diseases / microbiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Thoracic Wall / microbiology*
  • Thoracic Wall / pathology
  • Tuberculosis, Pleural / diagnosis*
  • Tuberculosis, Pleural / diagnostic imaging
  • Tuberculosis, Pleural / microbiology
  • Tuberculosis, Pleural / pathology
  • Ultrasonography