Free silicone breast injections
Free silicone breast injections (silicone mastopathy) are an alternative form of breast augmentation to breast implants, although they have serious adverse effects and are banned in many countries.
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Radiographic features
There are similar features to that of free silicone from breast implant rupture, although there will be no implant or fibrous capsule.
Mammography
- extremely dense lobulated masses +/- rim calcification
- extremely dense lymph nodes may be present
Ultrasound
- "snowstorm appearance" of echogenic foci with posterior shadowing obscuring the posterior breast 3
MRI
Signal characteristics of silicone:
- T1 FS: low signal
- T2 water suppressed: high signal
History and etymology
Free silicone injections were the precursor to breast prosthesis implantation and were banned in the United States in the 1990s 1,2. However, they are still performed in developing countries in South America and Asia.
Differential diagnosis
Related Radiopaedia articles
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