Rupture of an expander prosthesis mimics axillary cancer recurrence.

Br J Plast Surg. 2005 Oct; 58(7):1027-8.

Ismael T, Kelly J, Regan PJ.

Plastic Surgery Department, University College Hospital, Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland. thamirss@hotmail.com

Regional silicone gel migration from a ruptured breast implant has been reported at different locations including the upper extremity, chest wall muscles, axilla and back. We report a patient who presented with an axillary mass that mimicked a regional recurrence 5 years after breast cancer reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap and silicon gel expander-prosthesis. Surgical exploration revealed that the mass contained silicone gel around the port of the breast expander that had ruptured. The mass was confluent with an intracapsular silicone leak through a tract along the tube of the expander port.

PMID: 16055100 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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