Short report: cysticercosis of the breast, a rare imaging finding

Parasitic infection of the breast is rare, especially in cases of cysticercosis. This disease is acquired by ingestion of tapeworm eggs in contaminated food and water supplies or from hands improperly washed after a bowel movement. Diagnosis is usually made incidentally. We report a patient with cysticercosis of the breast. The patient was a 63-year-old woman who had no clinical manifestations, but cysticercus was observed to cause calcifications detected by mammography. Computed tomography demonstrated brain lesions. A definitive diagnosis of cysticercosis was made by demonstration of characteristic calcified larvae. The definitive diagnosis was confirmed by excisional surgery.