When she arrived at the outpatient department of the hospital, Lindiwe* was very clear about her condition. She had a dry, itchy patch on her right nipple that had been there for the past two weeks.
She had done her homework and told the healthcare provider who attended to her she had Paget’s disease of the nipple, which is a rare form of breast cancer.
The medical professional on duty, clinical associate Annelise Ahir, diagnosed something different – and much less serious. She said it was a fungal infection and prescribed an anti-fungal drug and topical corticosteroid cream for treatment. But Lindiwe (23) was having none of it.
