Human subcutaneous dirofilariasis - A report of three cases manifesting as breast or axillary nodules

Human subcutaneous du ofilartasts is a rare infection caused by filarial worms of the genus Du ofilaria. The parasites are transmitted to man by zooanthropophilic bloodsucking insects and the infection is manifested as subcutaneous nodules. Excisional biopsy is both diagnostic and therapeutic. We herein report three cases of human subcutaneous du ofilar tasis diagnosed over a period of ten years (1991 2000) in North East Greece. The patients two women and one man were all adults between 32 and 67 teals of age. In two cases the infection was manifested as breast nodules while in the thud case as a painful nodule in the axillary region. The excisional biopsy showed the presence of an adult Du ofilaria identified ay Du ofilaria (Nochtiella) repens. It is emphasised that both clinicians and pathologists should have an increased awareness of this clinicopathologic entity and include durofilar tasis in the differential diagnosis inpatients presenting with breast or subcutaneous nodules.