Rheumatic Manifestations in Danish Women with Silicone Breast Implants

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether women with silicone breast implants (SBI) present with a unique rheumatic symptomatology. We assessed the profile of rheumatic disease in six groups of women identified through Danish hospital and population registers, three groups of women with a prior hospital diagnosis of muscular rheumatism (a non-specific diagnostic code) who had previously undergone SBI surgery (n = 28), breast reduction surgery (n = 29) or no breast surgery (n = 27); and three groups of women without a diagnosis of muscular rheumatism who had undergone SBI surgery (n = 21), breast reduction surgery (n = 27) or no breast sugery (n = 56). All women in the study population (n = 188) underwent a thorough clinical examination, blood tests and a personal interview. In all study groups soft-tissue rheumatism and degenerative diseases were the most frequent diagnoses. Women with a prior diagnosis of muscular rheumatism but no prior breast surgery had a significantly higher prevalence of soft-tissue rheumatism than those with breast implant or reduction surgery. No significant differences in the frequencies of rheumatic diseases were observed among the three groups of women without previous muscular rheumatism. No specific pattern of inflammatory rheumatic disorders or soft-tissue complaints was identified among the women with SBI, and blood tests for autoimmunity revealed no unique pattern. Overall, women with earlier rheumatism had significantly increased frequencies of rheumatic conditions than did those without. We found no evidence of a rheumatic symptomatology unique to women with silicone breast implants. Our study emphasises the need for consideration of prior rheumatic disease when evaluating rheumatic manifestations in women with SBI.