Breast Implant-Associated Lymphoma

Silicone implant and fibrous capsule assessment based on water-fat-silicone chemical shift encoding-based species separation in breast MRI

BACKGROUND

With rising breast augmentations worldwide, there is an increasing clinical need for an early and accurate detection of implant complications.

PURPOSE

To compare the quality of chemical shift encoding-based (CSE) water-fat-silicone separation compared to double inversion recovery (DIR) silicone-only imaging in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This retrospective, single-center study included women with silicone implants subjected to 3-T MRI between January 2021 and March 2022. MRI included (i) two-dimensional silicone-only T2-weighted turbo spin echo DIR acquisition and (ii) three-dimensional CSE imaging based on multi-echo gradient-echo sequence enabling water-, fat-, and silicone-image separation. Images were evaluated and compared by three independent radiologists using a clinically established rating including differentiability of the silicone implant, visibility and contouring of the adjacent fibrous capsule, and accuracy of intralesional folds in a ranking of 1-5. The apparent contrast-to-noise (aCNR) was calculated.

RESULTS

In 71 women, the average quality of water-fat-silicone images from CSE imaging was assessed as "good" (assessment 4 ± 0.9). In 68 (96%) patients, CSE imaging achieved a concise delineation of the silicone implant and precise visualization of the fibrous capsule that was not distinguishable in DIR imaging. Implant ruptures were more easily detected in CSE imaging. The aCNR was higher in CSE compared to DIR imaging (18.43 ± 9.8 vs. 14.73 ± 2.5; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Intrinsically co-registered water-fat-silicone-separated CSE-based images enable a reliable assessment of silicone implants. The simultaneously improved differentiability of the implant and fibrous capsule may provide clinicians with a valuable tool for an accurate evaluation of implant integrity and early detection of potential complications.

Implant replacement and anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with breast implants: a quantitative analysis

Introduction

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma associated with breast reconstruction post-mastectomy or cosmetic-additive mammoplasty. The increasing use of implants for cosmetic purposes is expected to lead to an increase in BIA-ALCL cases. This study investigated the main characteristics of the disease and the factors predicting BIA-ALCL onset in patients with and without an implant replacement.

Methods

A quantitative analysis was performed by two independent researchers on cases extracted from 52 primary studies (case report, case series, and systematic review) published until April 2022 and searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Google-Scholar databases using "Breast-Implant" AND/OR "Associated" AND/OR "Anaplastic-Large-Cell-Lymphoma". The statistical significance was verified by Student's t-test for continuous variables, while Fisher's exact test was applied for qualitative variables. Cox model with time-dependent covariates was used to estimate BIA-ALCL's onset time. The Kaplan-Meier model allowed the estimation of the probability of survival after therapy according to breast implant exposure time.

Results

Overall, 232 patients with BIA-ALCL were extracted. The mean age at diagnosis was 55 years old, with a mean time to disease onset from the first implant of 10.3 years. The hazard of developing BIA-ALCL in a shorter time resulted significantly higher for patients not having an implant replacement (hazard ratio = 0.03; 95%CI: 0.005-0.19; p-value < 0.01). Patients with implant replacement were significantly older than patients without previous replacement at diagnosis, having a median time to diagnosis since the first implant of 13 years (7 years in patients without replacement); anyway, the median time to BIA-ALCL occurrence since the last implantation was equal to 5 years.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that, in BIA-ALCL patients, the implant substitution and/or capsulectomy may delay the disease's onset. However, the risk of reoccurrence in an earlier time should be considered in these patients. Moreover, the time to BIA-ALCL onset slightly increased with age. Selection bias, lack of awareness, misdiagnosis, and limited data availability could be identified as limits of our study. An implant replacement should be considered according to a risk stratification approach to delay the BIA-ALCL occurrence in asymptomatic patients, although a stricter follow-up after the implant substitution should be recommended.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42023446726.

Breast Implant Illness: Surgical, Autoimmune, and Breast Reconstruction Associations

Breast implant illness refers to a combination of different symptoms related to breast implant surgery, including fatigue, brain fog, and arthralgias. This malaise occurs after cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgeries, although it has not been proven to be a disease. Even recent studies have reported concluding statements of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment as unclear and widely unknown. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the associations between the manifestations of breast implant illness in surgery and breast reconstruction, as well as the autoimmune responses involved. Complications associated with breast implants include breast pain, capsular contracture, infections, as well as other manifestations specific to breast reconstruction. Moreover, patients with implants may present with new-onset systemic sclerosis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and connective tissue diseases. However, the incidence of capsular contracture has steadily decreased with each generation of implants, particularly since the development of textured implants, as well as with the use of antibiotics and antiseptic pocket irrigation. However, the incidence of anaplastic large cell lymphoma has increased with the use of textured implants. Remarkably, the autoimmune response to these implants remains unclear. Therefore, close follow-up, careful observation of any symptom presentation, and evidence-based treatment decisions are necessary for patients with breast implants.

Risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in breast cancer survivors: a nationwide cohort study

Several studies have suggested that estrogens have a protective function against lymphomagenesis. The treatment of breast cancer is driven by subtype classification, and the assessment of hormone receptor status is important for treatment selection. Thus, we evaluated the association between breast cancer and the incidence of NHL. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a population-based nationwide registry in South Korea. We selected all women with newly diagnosed breast cancer between January 1st, 2002 and December 31st, 2016 who received curative treatment (N = 84,969) and a 1:10 sample of age-matched non-breast cancer controls (N = 1,057,674). Incident breast cancer (time-varying exposure) was the exposure and development of any type of NHL, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), mature T/NK-cell lymphomas, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), and unspecified types of NHL, was the outcome. During follow-up, 1564 incident cases of NHL occurred. The fully adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) for NHL associated with the development of breast cancer was 1.64 (95% CI = 1.34–2.00) after adjusting for body mass index, alcohol intake, physical activity, smoking, income, and comorbidity. The adjusted HR for NHL was much higher in participants who were aged <50 years and who received hormone therapy (either tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors) than in those ≥50 years or who did not receive hormone therapy, respectively. The development of breast cancer was associated with a significantly increased risk of NHL, particularly follicular lymphoma and mature T/NK-cell lymphoma. In particular, the risk of NHL was higher in patients receiving hormone therapy and in younger patients.

Epidemiology of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Non-Hodgins’s lymphoma (NHL) is the most common hematological malignancy worldwide, accounting for nearly 3% of cancer diagnoses and deaths. NHL is the seventh most prevalent cancer and has the sixth highest mortality among cancers in the US. NHL accounts for 4% of US cancer diagnoses, and incidence has increased 168% since 1975 (while survival has improved 158%). NHL is more common among men, those >65 years old, and those with autoimmune disease or a family history of hematological malignancies. NHL is a heterogenous disease, with each subtype associated with different risk factors. Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is strongly associated with Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, while peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is most associated with celiac disease. Occupational exposures among farm workers or painters increases the risk of most of the common subtypes. Prior radiation treatment, obesity, and smoking are most highly associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), while breast implants have been rarely associated with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Infection with Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) is strongly associated with endemic Burkitts lymphoma. HIV and human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8), is predisposed to several subtypes of DLBCL, and human T-cell lymphoma virus (HTLV-1) is a causative agent of T-cell lymphomas. Obesity and vitamin D deficiency worsen NHL survival. Atopic diseases and alcohol consumption seem to be protective against NHL.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized as CD30 positive and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) negative. In 2016, the World Health Organization declared BIA-ALCL as a new disease entity. The first case of BIA-ALCL was reported in 1997, and as of July 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration had cited a total of 573 United States and global medical device reports of BIA-ALCL, including 33 deaths. In all clinical case reports, except for those with unknown clinical history, the patient had received at least one textured surface breast implant. Although the etiology is not yet clear, chronic inflammation has been proposed as a potential precursor to tumorigenesis. The most common presentation of BIA-ALCL is peri-implant fluid collection following aesthetic or reconstructive implantation with textured surface breast implants. It can be accompanied by breast swelling, asymmetry, pain, skin lesions, lymphadenopathy, and B-type symptoms. Most cases are detected on average 7 to 10 years after implantation. Diagnostic specimens can be obtained with fine-needle aspiration or biopsy. BIA-ALCL is CD30 positive, epithelial membrane antigen positive, and ALK negative. It can be cured with complete surgical excision at the T1–T3 stage.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma with contralateral invasive lobular carcinoma

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a rare type of T-cell lymphoma that arises in the setting of textured breast implants. In this case report, a 69-year-old woman with a remote history of right-sided invasive lobular carcinoma status post right mastectomy and bilateral breast reconstruction presents with spontaneous right breast swelling and pain, suspicious for implant rupture. Diagnostic MRI revealed a peri-implant fluid collection in the right breast and focal nonmass enhancement in the left breast. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with right-sided BIA-ALCL and left-sided invasive lobular carcinoma. Although intravenous gadolinium contrast is not needed to assess implant integrity, it can be used to evaluate for malignancy when the patient is at an increased risk for developing breast cancer. In this case, the use of contrast revealed the rare instance of a synchronous contralateral invasive lobular carcinoma. Despite the rarity of BIA-ALCL with an estimated incidence of 1:30,000 in women with textured implants, it is essential that radiologists include this entity in the differential in the appropriate clinical setting as surgical resection is curative if performed before the disease has spread.

Primary Pulmonary Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma Mimicking Metastasis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Primary pulmonary diffuse large B cell lymphoma (PPDLBCL) is extremely rare, with fewer than 40 cases reported to date and a lack of systemic analysis. Herein, we present a case of PPDLBCL mimicking metastasis in a heavily treated patient with breast cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of PPDLBCL in a patient with breast cancer. A 66-year-old Chinese female diagnosed with breast cancer 7.5 years previously and multiple bone metastases 31 months later presented with a new-onset subpleural nodule in the inferior lobe of left lung detected by routine follow-up in November 2017. A 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan showed that the pulmonary nodule was hypermetabolic with a maximum standard uptake value of 14.9, consistent with lung metastasis in view of her history of breast cancer and multiple bone involvement. Surprisingly, pathologic investigation revealed primary lung DLBCL, staged IEA. Systemic chemotherapy with R-CDOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, doxorubicin liposome, and prednisone) achieved complete remission with mild side effects. At the latest follow-up in August 2019, the patient had disease-free survival of 21 months. The findings from this case indicate that primary pulmonary lymphoma should be included in the differential diagnostic checklist of pulmonary occupancy, even in solid tumor patients treated with multiple modalities. When a newly developed lung nodule is identified in such patients, clinicians should not take for granted that it is lung metastasis. Pathology results are a prerequisite for making a correct diagnosis, choosing appropriate treatment, and improving patient prognosis.

Incidence of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma and Breast-Implant-Associated Lymphoma-An Analysis of a Certified Tumor Registry over 17 Years

Background: Breast-implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BI-ALCL) and primary breast ALCL are rare extranodal manifestations of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The rarity of both diseases, along with unreleased sales data on breast implants and constant updates of classification systems impede the calculation of an exact incidence. Methods: The database of the Tumor Center Regensburg in Bavaria was searched for patients with CD30-positive and ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma between 2002 and 2018. These lymphomas were identified by the ICD-O-3 morphology code “97023” and were cross-checked by searching the diagnosis by name the and ICD-10 code C84.7. Furthermore, we tried to calculate the incidence rates and corresponding 95% confidence intervals, standardized to 1,000,000 implant years of breast-implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma and primary breast anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Results: Twelve ALK-negative and CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphomas were identified out of 170,405 malignancies. No case was found within the breast tissue and none of the patients had a previous history of breast implant placement. In five cases, lymph node involvement in close proximity to the breast was observed. Conclusion: We found a low incidence of anaplastic large cell lymphoma and no association to breast implants in these patients. A review of the current literature revealed inconsistent use of classification systems for anaplastic large cell lymphomas and potential overestimation of cases.

The Emerging Crisis of Stakeholders in Implant-based Augmentation Mammaplasty in Korea

BACKGROUND

Korea is no longer safe from the risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL); the first reported case was a Korean woman in her 40s who had a 7-year-history of receiving an implant-based augmentation mammaplasty using a textured implant. We conducted this study to discuss the emerging crisis of stakeholders in implant-based augmentation mammaplasty and to propose a multi-disciplinary approach to early detection of its complications.

METHODS

We analyzed medical examination data that was collected from patients who visited us between August 12 and September 27, 2019. We evaluated a total of 114 women (n = 114) in the current study. They were evaluated for whether they were in healthy condition. Moreover, their baseline characteristics were also examined; these included age, gender, height (cm), weight (kg), duration since surgery (years), possession of a breast implant card, the site of surgical incision, side of symptoms and reasons for outpatient visit. Furthermore, the patients were also evaluated for their subjective awareness of the manufacturer, surface and shape of the breast implant. Potential complications include malrotation, folding, seroma, capsule thickening, upside-down rotation, rupture, capsule mass and breast mass.

RESULTS

A majority of the patients had a past history of receiving textured implants. The corresponding percentage was 78.95% (90/114) and 85.09% (97/114) based on their subjective awareness of a breast implant and sonographic findings, respectively. That is, it was slightly increased with the use of a breast ultrasound.

CONCLUSION

Here, we propose the following approaches. First, patient data should be prospectively collected. By tracking outcomes and complications of an implant-based augmentation mammaplasty, both high-quality care and patient safety can be ensured. Second, stakeholders in implant-based augmentation mammaplasty should collaborate with customers and regulatory authorities. Third, surgeons should consider applying imaging modalities for early detection of postoperative complications.

Microbial detection in seroma fluid preceding the diagnosis of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature

The Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) represents a topic of great concern. We report the case of a patient with late-onset seroma, who was initially diagnosed with an implant-related infection of the breast due to microbial detection in the seroma fluid, thus delaying the diagnosis of BIA-ALCL.