Rupture of an expander prosthesis mimics axillary cancer recurrence.
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.
Ismael
T
T
Plastic Surgery Department, University College Hospital, Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland. thamirss@hotmail.com
Kelly
J
J
Regan
P J
PJ
D018427:Breast Implants; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000175:diagnosis; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D020034:Silicone Gels; D015625:Tissue Expansion Devices
D020034:Silicone Gels