Mammary Silicone Granuloma

Abstract

Two and one-half years after having had silicone fluid injected into her breasts, a 22-year-old woman noticed two painful masses in the subcutaneous tissue of her abdominal wall. Similar lesions appeared four months later in both breasts and in the inguinal region. Gross and microscopic aspects of these masses were identical in all three anatomic sites. Cystic fluid was identified by infrared spectrophotometry as an all-methyl silicone polymer. The presence of silicone fluid in the abdominal wall and inguinal region is explained by gravitational migration from its initial site of injection in the breasts—a finding not previously reported, to our knowledge.