Primary hydatid cyst of the breast: A case report and mini‑review of the literature

Hydatid disease is a zoonotic infection with a diverse range of clinical presentations. Breast involvement is an extremely rare occurrence. The present study describes the case of an elderly female patient who presented with a longstanding breast hydatid cyst (HC) masquerading as a painless mass. A 79‑year‑old female patient presented with a slowly enlarging lump in her left breast for the past 20 years. A mammography revealed a circumscribed, hyperdense mass. The lump was surgically excised. A histopathological examination revealed benign breast ducts and lobules in a fibrous stroma containing a well‑defined cyst composed of lamellated, chitinous layers of a HC. In addition, a review of 11 cases of breast HC in females identified in the literature revealed that the disease frequently presented as a painless, slowly growing breast mass. The disease duration prior to presentation ranged from 2 to 36 months. The cysts were located in the left breast in 8 cases, in the right breast in 2 cases, and there was bilateral involvement in 1 case. The majority of these cysts were localized to the upper outer quadrant. On the whole, as demonstrated herein, breast HC can remain asymptomatic for a long period of time and may masquerade as a gradually enlarging, painless breast mass.