[Breast tuberculosis]

Abstract

A 47-year-old woman, mother of 7 children, was admitted to hospital because of the painful tumour of her left breast. The clinical course was chronic with formation of abscess and then fistula. Chest X-ray was normal. Axillary lymph nodes were not palpable. During mammography tumour was revealed (3.5 cm in diameter). During tumour resection abscess was found. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from its pus, but histologic picture of resected tissue suggested caseous tuberculosis of mamma. Bacilli were not found. The patient was treated with antituberculous drugs. At the early stage of treatment the skin fistula of mamma occurred but the long-lasting therapy was successful.