Subcutaneous Cysticercosis

Cysticercosis is an infection of both humans and pigs with the larval stages of the Taenia solium . This infection is caused by the ingestion of eggs or gravid proglottids shed in the faeces of a human tapeworm carrier. The subcutaneous form of the disease is a relatively rare clinical entity. The aim of this paper is to report a case of subcutaneous cysticercosis involving the left anterior chest wall mimicking soft-tissue neoplasm. This is a case of 35-year-old female with complaints of the lump in the left anterior axillary line associated with itching for the last 5 months. The lump slowly increases in size with mild pain. On clinical examination, the lump was located subcutaneously over the left lateral border of pectoralis major and firm to hard in consistency with mild tenderness. No skin change was noted. Fine needle aspiration cytology was signed off as suspicious of histiocytic tumour. Excision of the lump was done under local anaesthesia and sent for histopathological examination. Histopathological examination revealed cysticercus cellulose parasite with an extensive mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate in the surrounding tissue. The patient was prescribed oral anthelmintic therapy. Subcutaneous cysticercosis is a relatively rare form of cysticercosis but should always be borne in mind during the evaluation of subcutaneous swellings. In any lumps with a subcutaneous cyst showing a central cystic area containing a caseating-like whitish fluid with a covering wall, histopathological examination should always be done to confirm the diagnosis.