Rupture of a silicone gel mammary prosthesis and amyloidosis: a case report

Silicone Breast Implant Rupture From Pectoralis Muscle Contraction Causing IgA Nephropathy: A Case Report

A 34-year-old woman who was diagnosed with a left breast carcinoma underwent breast conserving surgery and axillary dissection. This was followed with adjuvant breast irradiation and endocrine therapy. She had a local recurrence in the breast 7 years later. She underwent a left nipple sparing mastectomy and submuscular implant reconstruction. The silicone implant ruptured during an episode of strong pectoralis muscle contraction, 5 years postimplantation. MRI confirmed the rupture to be intracapsular and extracapsular. She declined implant replacement. She presented with painless hematuria 2.5 years after the rupture. A renal biopsy confirmed IgA nephropathy.

Reactive amyloidosis complicated by end-stage renal disease 28 years after liquid silicone injection in the buttocks

Silicone ganulomas usually arise from the rupture of silicone implants. Until the 1980s, however, underground care providers used to inject liquid and unapproved silicone directly into human tissues, in the absence of a containing capsule. We report here the case of a man who ultimately developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD) because of a chronic glomerulosclerosis that was attributed to a glomerular AA amyloidosis diagnosed 28 years after a buttock injection of liquid silicone. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a silicone-induced AA amyloidosis irreversibly affecting the kidneys, and leading to ESRD. An interleukin 1 receptor antagonist was started to prevent the extension of amyloidosis, but to no avail as far as the kidneys are concerned. We want to draw the attention of health professionals about the risk of developing AA amyloidosis secondary to a long-lasting inflammation induced by silicone leakage, after a long latency period.

Toxic myopathies: muscle biopsy features

Several drugs and toxic substances can cause muscular abnormalities and are frequent causes of acquired myopathies. We present a series of 32 patients, predominance of young adult patients, diagnosed with toxic myopathy. The most common substances inducing myopathy were corticosteroids (56.2%) followed by the propoxyphene, neuroleptics, zidovudine and drug-induced hypokalemia. The investigation showed normal serum creatine kinase levels in 65.4%, myopathic pattern of the needle electromyography in 40% and the more frequent histological diagnosis of the muscle biopsy was type 2 fiber atrophy (59.3%). Clinical features, etiology, course of the disease, serum levels of muscular enzymes, electromyographic features and, especially, muscle biopsy features are discussed.

A rare cause of breast mass that mimics carcinoma: Foreign body reaction to amorphous surgical material

A breast mass caused by foreign body type granulomatous reaction to surgical material is a very rare lesion and may mimic carcinoma. Reported foreign materials have included suture materials, silicone, paraffin, gunpowder and carbon particles used for localization of a nonpalpable breast lesions. To our knowledge, a foreign body reaction to gauze sponge has not been reported previously. A 58-year-old woman who had an enlarging mass that mimicked breast carcinoma, due to foreign body reaction to gauze sponge is presented here, and relevant literature is reviewed.