Asian Journal of Research in Surgery

Hydatid cyst of the breast is a very rare only few cases of breast hydatid cyst are published and majority of the reported cases have been diagnosed post operatively. Hydatid disease is parasitic infection caused by echinococcus granulosus. The definitive host is dog, intermediate host is sheep and human are accidental intermediate hosts. Hydatid disease is endemic in many parts of the world such as middle east Africa, South America, New-Zealand, Australia, Iran, Iraq and Turkey. In India highest prevalence is reported in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir.

Common location of hydatid cyst is liver (75%) and Lungs (15%) while unusual location like kidney, spleen, pancreas, heart, brain, bones, thyroid and muscles including the remaining 10% cases.  Breast is very rare site for hydatid disease, accounting for 0.27% of cases.

We are reporting a rare case of hydatid cyst of the breast in a 40 years old female, patient having painless lump at left upper quadrant of the breast since one year. On ultrasonography diagnosed a benign simple cystic lump in the left breast. Intraoperative revealed the cystic lump was containing hydatid cyst with multiple daughter cysts, so we performed complete excision of the cyst with wide margin and pericystectomy was done.