Silicon in human breast tissue surrounding silicone gel prostheses. A scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray investigation of normal, fibrocystic and peri-prosthetic breast tissue.
Implanted silicone breast prostheses leak silicone gel through the intact membrane. In order to determine the exact location and to achieve a semiquantitative estimation of the amount of silicone in the surrounding tissue, a method involving scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) was used. By this method we were able to demonstrate the presence of the element silicon (Si) (main component of silicone, a polymer with a general formula e.g. (CH3[Si(CH3)2O]n Si(CH3)3 along the inner border of vacuoles corresponding to the light microscopic localization of droplets and in macrophages. The tissue adjacent to the prostheses had a higher silicon content than the control tissue.
Winding
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Institute of Hygiene, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Christensen
L
L
Thomsen
J L
JL
Nielsen
M
M
Breiting
V
V
Brandt
B
B
D001940:Breast / Q000032:analysis* / Q000473:pathology; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000032:analysis* / Q000473:pathology; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000032:analysis; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012825:Silicon / Q000032:analysis*; D012828:Silicones
D005782:Gels; D012828:Silicones; D012825:Silicon