A Case Report of Silicone Lymphadenopathy Without Silicone Breast Implant Rupture

Abstract

 Silicone lymphadenopathy is a relatively rare condition that is associated with the insertion of silicone breast implants (SBIs) during breast reconstruction. Silicone particles leached from SBIs can be transported to adjacent lymph nodes via macrophage phagocytosis, triggering a chronic inflammatory response through a foreign body reaction. Herein, we report a patient who underwent breast reconstruction with SBI and was incidentally found to have painless lymphadenopathy in the axilla during chest CT, eight years postoperatively. CT showed no rupture of the SBI. Lymph node biopsy was performed that established a definitive diagnosis of silicone lymphadenopathy. A wait-and-see approach was taken, without surgical intervention. Two years after the lymph node biopsy, the patient was doing well, without any lymphadenopathy recurrence.