Silicone exposure associated with breast papillary lesion: A case report

Abstract

We described a breast papillary lesion related to silicone breast implant exposure. The case report is in accordance with our initial publication, where we proposed that silicone particles may trigger a process of reverse morphogenesis in pericapsular tissue resulting in metaplasia of the epithelial cells. The relationship between breast metaplasia and silicone implants is still little discussed in the literature. Our current study is based on evidence obtained from the files of a patient with a six-year-old history of silicone breast implant, which resulted in a diagnosis of a papillary lesion after a percutaneous breast biopsy. Currently, the main complications related to implants reported in the literature are intra- and extra-capsular ruptures, capsular contracture, and the most severe, breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. However, another complication not yet widely accepted in the literature is breast implant illness, resulting from silicone induced granuloma of breast implant capsule. Many medical specialists are skeptical about silicone disease potential and argue the lack of scientific evidence to support its existence. We believe that presenting these findings and the appropriate discussion of the results should contribute to a better understanding of the pathologies related to breast implants. It is worth mentioning that the safety of breast implants must be questioned.

Keywords

• Breast implant
• Silicones
• Granuloma
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma
• Metaplasia