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DOI:10.2214/AJR.07.3616
AJR 2008; 191:W89-W95
© American Roentgen Ray Society


Clinical Observations

Radiologic Features of Polyacrylamide Gel Mammoplasty

Sze Yiun Teo1 and Shih-chang Wang2

1 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Rd., Singapore 229899.
2 Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Received January 3, 2008; accepted after revision March 14, 2008.

 
Address correspondence to S. Y. Teo (Teo.Sze.Yiun{at}kkh.com.sg).

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Abstract
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Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
 
OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to describe the imaging features of polyacrylamide gel breast implants in women with and those without complications from mammoplasty.

CONCLUSION. Although polyacrylamide gel implants may mimic conventional implants on both sonography and MRI in women who do not have complications from mammoplasty, polyacrylamide gel implants have some distinguishing features. The imaging appearance of polyacrylamide gel implants is related to the technique of injection and whether there are any associated complications. The implants are usually in a retroglandular location. Mammography, sonography, and MRI can be used to evaluate short-term complications, although MRI appears to be the most sensitive. Common short-term complications include extravasation of polyacrylamide gel and secondary infection, which may be related to lactation. The long-term complications of polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty are unknown. Knowledge of the appearances of polyacrylamide gel implants in women with and those without complications from mammoplasty is useful in the radiologic evaluation of such patients.

Keywords: breast augmentation • breast cancer • breast cancer screening • mammoplasty • polyacrylamide gel


Introduction
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Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
 
Polyacrylamide is formed from polymerization of acrylamide monomers. It is a water-soluble biocompatible substance used in a diverse range of industries, including food and paper production and waste and soil industries and in the manufacture of biomedical, personal, and cosmetic products. In the latter two, polyacrylamide functions as a binder and a foam builder and imparts emollient properties to items such as cosmetics and soaps. Polyacrylamide is used in biomedical industries in tissue models, as a carrier of drugs and hormones, and for separation and purification of biomaterial [1].

Polyacrylamide gel contains 2.5–5% of polyacrylamide suspended in 95–97.5% water [1, 2]. It has been available for use in breast augmentation (known as Formacryl, Contura SA) since 1997 in China and the former Soviet Union [3, 4]. It is estimated that the Kiev City Hospital of the former Soviet Union performed polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty in approximately 300 women a year [4]. Nonetheless, the true incidence of polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty is not known because the procedure tends to be performed in small hospitals and private clinics. The procedure involves the injection of approximately 150–200 mL of polyacrylamide gel into the retroglandular space of each breast at the inframammary crease or at the upper region of the breast [3, 5].

The purpose of this article is to describe the radiologic features of polyacrylamide gel–augmented breasts and complications from mammoplasty on mammography, sonography, and MRI. Except a previous article describing the T1 and T2 signal characteristics of polyacrylamide gel in breast augmentation [6], to our knowledge, the radiologic findings of polyacrylamide gel implants and complications of polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty have not been previously reported in the English-language literature.


Materials and Methods
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Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
 
We obtained institutional review board approval for our study. Patients who had undergone polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty and presented to our institutions for breast imaging during a 25-month period from May 2005 to October 2007 were included in our study. Eleven patients, all of whom had undergone sonography, met our inclusion criteria. In addition to sonography, two patients had undergone mammography and MRI, one had undergone MRI, and two had undergone mammography. The imaging features were studied retrospectively in consensus by two radiologists.

The mammographic technique used for the examinations was the same as that used for routine mammography—that is, without implant displacement. Unlike conventional saline or silicone implants that are palpable and thus can be displaced for "pinched" views, in breasts with polyacrylamide gel implants, the augmented breast has a natural feel and the implant cannot be distinguished from native breast tissue.


Figure 1
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Fig. 1A 39-year-old asymptomatic woman (patient 2 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented for breast cancer screening. Right mediolateral oblique mammogram shows water-density polyacrylamide gel (arrows) in retroglandular location anterior to pectoralis muscle with variable margin, seen when interposed against more radiolucent retromammary fat. Focal depression at anterior border of polyacrylamide gel is seen in upper outer quadrant (craniocaudal view not shown) with adjacent opacity lying in its concavity (open arrow).

 

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TABLE 1: Clinical Features and Radiologic Findings of 11 Patients with Polyacrylamide Gel (PAAG)–Augmented Breasts

 


Figure 2
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Fig. 1B 39-year-old asymptomatic woman (patient 2 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented for breast cancer screening. Sonogram shows opacity to be due to ovoid globule of extravasated polyacrylamide gel (calipers) lying within concavity at anterior border of polyacrylamide gel (arrow), corresponding to mammographic finding.

 


Figure 3
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Fig. 2A 30-year-old woman (patient 9 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with left-sided breast lump. Left mediolateral oblique mammogram shows amorphous mass of water density that is indistinguishable from adjacent breast tissues. Oval opacity (arrow) in left upper breast, corresponding to site of breast lump, can be seen only on mediolateral oblique view.

 


Figure 4
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Fig. 2B 30-year-old woman (patient 9 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with left-sided breast lump. Sonogram obtained at 12-o'clock position shows at least two hypoechoic well-circumscribed oval masses of extravasated polyacrylamide gel with larger mass (L1) corresponding to mammographic opacity. L2 = small mass.

 


Figure 5
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Fig. 2C 30-year-old woman (patient 9 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with left-sided breast lump. Sonogram of central left breast shows typical appearance of polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty. Retroglandular fluid collection contains multiple internal foci of varying echogenicity, sizes, and distributions. Lack of intervening intramammary fat between polyacrylamide gel, adjacent breast tissues (B), and pectoralis muscle (P) may account for mammographic appearance. N = nipple.

 
The patients ranged in age from 29 to 39 years (mean age, 32.5 years; median age, 30 years). Ten patients had mammoplasty performed in China and one in Indonesia. Some patients were embarrassed about having undergone this procedure and were not forthcoming about the details.

Most of the patients (82%, n = 9) were symptomatic. The clinical features and radiologic findings of each of the 11 patients are detailed in Table 1. For descriptions of the radiologic features in our patients, findings are categorized by patient presentation: asymptomatic or symptomatic.


Results
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Abstract
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Materials and Methods
Results
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Asymptomatic Patients
One mammography and two sonography studies were available for the two patients who were asymptomatic.

Mammography—The polyacrylamide gel implants showed water density similar to saline implants. The polyacrylamide gel was retroglandular in location with an incomplete margin with the adjacent breast tissues. In one patient (patient 2 in Table 1), a focal depression at the anterior border of the polyacrylamide gel collection with an adjacent opacity in the right upper outer quadrant was seen (Fig. 1A, 1B).


Figure 6
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Fig. 3A 39-year-old woman (patient 7 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with bilateral breast lumps. Right mediolateral oblique (A) and right craniocaudal (B) mammograms show multiple bizarre opacities throughout breast parenchyma bilaterally. Unlike images of other patients in our series, which showed retroglandular prepectoral single fluid collections, mammograms of this patient show intraglandular polyacrylamide gel collections that are probably due to multiple injections.

 


Figure 7
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Fig. 3B 39-year-old woman (patient 7 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with bilateral breast lumps. Right mediolateral oblique (A) and right craniocaudal (B) mammograms show multiple bizarre opacities throughout breast parenchyma bilaterally. Unlike images of other patients in our series, which showed retroglandular prepectoral single fluid collections, mammograms of this patient show intraglandular polyacrylamide gel collections that are probably due to multiple injections.

 


Figure 8
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Fig. 3C 39-year-old woman (patient 7 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with bilateral breast lumps. Axial contrast-enhanced T1-weighted image with fat saturation of both breasts again shows multiple bizarre polyacrylamide gel pools in both breasts. Polyacrylamide gel collection shows thin regular rim enhancement similar to that of breast cysts.

 
Sonography—In both patients, polyacrylamide gel appeared as an almost anechoic fluid collection in a retroglandular prepectoral location. Multiple discrete foci of varying echogenicities, sizes, and distributions could be seen in the polyacrylamide gel implants. The characteristics of internal echogenic foci varied between breasts in the same patient (patient 1), suggesting the random nature of the foci. A thin discontinuous echogenic line surrounded the fluid collections. Posterior to the polyacrylamide gel collections, the pectoralis muscle was seen as a continuous structure with no abnormal "step off," which typically can be seen posterior to a silicone implant [7]. The opacity in the right upper outer quadrant of patient 2 was due to a focal lobule of extravasated polyacrylamide gel (Fig. 1A, 1B).

Symptomatic Patients
Three mammography, nine sonography, and three MRI studies were available for the nine symptomatic patients. Three patients each presented with breast pain, breast pain and swelling, and a breast lump or lumps. Three patients were lactating; of these, two presented with unilateral pain and swelling and the third presented with unilateral breast pain alone.

Mammography—Mammograms were available for patients 3, 7, and 9. In patients 3 and 9, polyacrylamide gel appeared amorphous and indistinguishable from the adjacent breast tissues (Fig. 2A, 2B, 2C). In patient 7, a woman with bilateral breast lumps, multiple bizarre, randomly distributed opacities of varying shapes and sizes were seen bilaterally (Fig. 3A, 3B, 3C). This patient may have received multiple injections of gel in each breast rather than a single injection in each breast as in all of the other patients. A well-defined oval density was present in the upper breast corresponding to the palpable breast lump in patient 9.

Sonography—In all patients except patient 7, polyacrylamide gel was present as a single globular fluid collection in a retroglandular prepectoral location with variable internal echogenicity similar to the asymptomatic patients. No intervening mammary fat was present between the polyacrylamide gel collection, the adjacent breast tissue, and the pectoralis muscle in patients 3 and 9. This may account for the amorphous appearance of polyacrylamide gel on mammography. Sonography of patient 7 showed multiple bizarre, randomly distributed lobules of polyacrylamide gel in the breasts that corresponded to the mammographic findings. Some of the lobules were likely due to extravasation of gel from the underlying injection site.

Including patient 7, extravasation of polyacrylamide gel was the most common abnormal finding, seen in five (56%) of nine symptomatic patients, two presenting with breast pain (patients 3 and 11) and three presenting with a breast lump or lumps (patients 6, 7, and 9).


Figure 9
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Fig. 4A 29-year-old woman (patient 4 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented postpartum with right breast pain and swelling; patient was breastfeeding. Sonography images obtained at 12-o'clock position of both breasts show increase in volume accompanied by increase in echogenicity of polyacrylamide gel collection of affected breast (A) compared with unaffected breast (B). Note retroglandular location of polyacrylamide gel and hypertrophy of breast tissues compatible with lactating state.

 


Figure 10
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Fig. 4B 29-year-old woman (patient 4 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented postpartum with right breast pain and swelling; patient was breastfeeding. Sonography images obtained at 12-o'clock position of both breasts show increase in volume accompanied by increase in echogenicity of polyacrylamide gel collection of affected breast (A) compared with unaffected breast (B). Note retroglandular location of polyacrylamide gel and hypertrophy of breast tissues compatible with lactating state.

 
Superimposed infection of the polyacrylamide gel collection was the next most common abnormal finding in our series of symptomatic patients, seen in three patients (33%; patients 4, 5, and 8). All three patients presented with unilateral breast pain and swelling, and the former two were lactating. The affected breast showed a marked increase in the size of the polyacrylamide gel collection as well as a diffuse increase in its internal echogenicity to midlevel echoes (Fig. 4A, 4B). The complicated collection in patient 4 was aspirated under sonography guidance. This procedure yielded a large amount of yellowish fluid with tiny bubbles and debris.

Discrete anechoic foci were seen in the left pectoralis muscle of patient 10 that were separate from the polyacrylamide gel collection. It is unlikely that the polyacrylamide gel migrated through the tough fascia overlying the pectoralis muscle after the injection. Rather, we suspect that the gel was erroneously introduced at the time of the injection.

MRI—MRI was available for patients 3, 7, and 8. The position of the polyacrylamide gel collections was well depicted on MRI. All collections were retroglandular in location, although some of the polyacrylamide gel in patient 8 extended partly into and partly beneath the right pectoralis major muscle (Fig. 5A, 5B, 5C). These findings were not seen on sonography. Again, we suspect that extension of the polyacrylamide gel in patient 8 was likely due to intramuscular injection of polyacrylamide gel.


Figure 11
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Fig. 5A 37-year-old woman (patient 8 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with pain and swelling in left breast. Axial fast spin-echo T2-weighted (A), axial fast spin-echo T1-weighted (B), and axial contrast-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted (C) MR images of both breasts at same level show intramuscular extension of polyacrylamide gel (arrows, A and B) in asymptomatic right breast. Polyacrylamide gel shows fluid density type of signal, appearing hypointense on T1-weighted and hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences. Decrease in T2-weighted signal and increase in T1-weighted signal of infected left-sided polyacrylamide gel collection, which is increased in volume, are seen. Irregular thickened rim enhancement surrounds affected collection (arrows, C). Unaffected collection shows faint regular rim enhancement. Note internal hypointense T1-weighted and T2-weighted foci in both collections, with more numerous foci in affected collection.

 

Figure 12
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Fig. 5B 37-year-old woman (patient 8 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with pain and swelling in left breast. Axial fast spin-echo T2-weighted (A), axial fast spin-echo T1-weighted (B), and axial contrast-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted (C) MR images of both breasts at same level show intramuscular extension of polyacrylamide gel (arrows, A and B) in asymptomatic right breast. Polyacrylamide gel shows fluid density type of signal, appearing hypointense on T1-weighted and hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences. Decrease in T2-weighted signal and increase in T1-weighted signal of infected left-sided polyacrylamide gel collection, which is increased in volume, are seen. Irregular thickened rim enhancement surrounds affected collection (arrows, C). Unaffected collection shows faint regular rim enhancement. Note internal hypointense T1-weighted and T2-weighted foci in both collections, with more numerous foci in affected collection.

 

Figure 13
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Fig. 5C 37-year-old woman (patient 8 in Table 1) with polyacrylamide gel implants who presented with pain and swelling in left breast. Axial fast spin-echo T2-weighted (A), axial fast spin-echo T1-weighted (B), and axial contrast-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted (C) MR images of both breasts at same level show intramuscular extension of polyacrylamide gel (arrows, A and B) in asymptomatic right breast. Polyacrylamide gel shows fluid density type of signal, appearing hypointense on T1-weighted and hyperintense on T2-weighted sequences. Decrease in T2-weighted signal and increase in T1-weighted signal of infected left-sided polyacrylamide gel collection, which is increased in volume, are seen. Irregular thickened rim enhancement surrounds affected collection (arrows, C). Unaffected collection shows faint regular rim enhancement. Note internal hypointense T1-weighted and T2-weighted foci in both collections, with more numerous foci in affected collection.

 
In the absence of inflammatory change, the MRI signal of polyacrylamide gel was similar to that of water and polyacrylamide gel appeared hypointense and hyperintense on T1 and T2 sequences, respectively. A discontinuous thin hypointense T2 rim was seen. In the polyacrylamide gel collection itself, small discrete hypointense T2 foci were evident; these foci may be the internal foci that were seen on sonography.

Extravasated polyacrylamide gel on MRI appeared similar to that on sonography with discrete globules of fluid signal in the breast tissues. Extravasated gel was present in patient 3 and was presumed to be present in patient 7 (Fig. 3A, 3B, 3C).

Superimposed inflammatory change, increased heterogeneous intermediate T1 signal, and decreased heterogeneous hypointense to intermediate T2 signal, together with irregular and thickened rim enhancement, were seen in patient 8 (Fig. 5A, 5B, 5C). A thin regular rim of delayed enhancement was present around the polyacrylamide gel collection in the asymptomatic right breast of patient 8 and surrounding the multiple globules of polyacrylamide gel in patient 7 and appeared similar to the rim enhancement of breast cysts.


Discussion
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Abstract
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Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
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Polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty has been performed in many women in the former Soviet Union, in China, and in other parts of Asia. The increasingly common migration of women from those regions around the world means that more radiologists worldwide are likely to interpret images of patients with these implants. The appearance of polyacrylamide gel on various imaging techniques seems to be related to the way it is mixed before injection; where it is injected into the breast; and the type of complication or complications, if any.

In all of our patients except one, polyacrylamide gel was located as a single fluid collection in the intended retroglandular location. In the patient with multiple lobules, multiple injection sites are suspected. In 18% of our patients, imaging showed polyacrylamide gel extending into the pectoralis muscle. This feature has been noted in other series [5, 6]; we postulate that extension of the gel is due to erroneous intramuscular injection at the time of the procedure.

On mammography, polyacrylamide gel is of water density similar to saline implants. A margin surrounding the polyacrylamide gel collection is present and varies depending on the amount of intramammary fat. Sonography of an uncomplicated polyacrylamide gel collection typically shows an almost anechoic fluid collection with multiple discrete internal foci. On MRI, uncomplicated polyacrylamide gel is of water density and may contain internal hypointense T2 foci. These internal foci may correspond to those seen on sonography and may be air bubbles, impurities, or debris. An uncomplicated polyacrylamide gel collection may show delayed thin regular enhancement similar to breast cysts.

A thin discontinuous hypointense T2 boundary on MRI and a thin discontinuous echogenic line on sonography often outline the polyacrylamide gel collection. This bound ary may be the fibrous capsules surrounding polyacrylamide gel collections found at open surgery [3, 5, 6]. On pathology, thin fibrous tissue and foreign body reaction composed of macrophages and foreign body giant cells were commonly seen surrounding polyacrylamide gel pools in lumpectomy specimens and breast tissue samples [2, 4]. Foreign body reaction appears to be related to the size of the polyacrylamide gel collection because it was found around collections larger than 0.5 cm; small collections elicited a much weaker foreign body reaction.

Polyacrylamide gel sometimes was not mass-producing but, rather, displayed inter-digitating strands between the connective tissue or fat tissue with no adjacent cellular reaction [4]. The thick fibrous capsules and calcifications typically associated with silicone implants were absent. Chronic inflammatory cells could occasionally be seen in the polyacrylamide gel [2, 4]. Foreign body granulomas resembling silicone granulomas were uncommon, seen in approximately 20% of biopsy samples in one study [4]. Unlike silicone granulomas, polyacrylamide gel granulomas tend not to have significant fibrosis.

When examining images of a patient with polyacrylamide gel–augmented breasts, the challenge is to recognize the implants as such. Sometimes patients may not be forthcoming with relevant history.

Differentiating polyacrylamide gel implants from silicone implants on mammography is straightforward because silicone appears denser than polyacrylamide gel. The thin dense line representing the shell of a saline implant is easily recognized mammographically. Sonographic findings may be confusing because some silicone implants have echogenic foci within them. These foci, however, tend to be fairly regularly distributed compared with the random distribution of foci within a polyacrylamide gel collection. On sonography alone, it is possible to mistake a polyacrylamide gel implant for an uncomplicated conventional implant. The two or three thin echogenic lines of the shell and capsule of a conventional implant are distinctive. The "stepoff" artifact behind silicone implants does not occur behind polyacrylamide gel implants presumably because there is no significant difference between polyacrylamide gel and breast tissue in the speed of sound transmission. On MRI, a retroglandular collection of water density may mimic a saline implant, but a saline implant is not expected to have any discrete foci within it.

Complications arising from polyacrylamide gel breast augmentation usually occur a few years after the procedure and include breast lumps, pain, infection, and unsatisfactory cosmesis [3, 6]. In our series, there were equal numbers of patients each with breast pain, breast pain and swelling, and a breast lump or lumps. In other series, the most common complication was a breast lump or lumps [2, 3, 5]. Superimposed infection resulting in breast pain and swelling was common in our series, making up a third of the symptomatic patients. This high incidence of infection may reflect a selection bias given the small number of patients.

Unlike traditional saline or silicone implants that herniate through the thinnest portion of the surrounding fibrous capsule [7], herniation and subsequent extravasation of polyacrylamide gel seem to occur anywhere. In our series, extravasation of gel was the most common abnormal finding, seen in five of nine symptomatic and one of two asymptomatic patients.

We found that superimposed infection resulted in distinctive changes in the appearance of a polyacrylamide gel collection that can be detected on sonography and MRI. Mammography was not performed on any of these patients. On sonography, the gel collection showed an increase in size and echogenicity. On MRI, there are alterations in signal intensity and irregular thickened rim enhancement. These features have not been described previously, to our knowledge. Superimposed inflammatory change appears to be a common complication associated with lactation, also noted in another series [4]. Histologic examination of one of these affected collections in our series revealed inflammatory cells and granular debris. It is possible that polyacrylamide gel, a large fluid collection with no physical boundaries, is prone to and easily allows intracollection inflammation, especially in women who are breastfeeding.

Mammography, sonography, and MRI may be used for the assessment of complications associated with polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty, which may be present even if the patient is asymptomatic. Extravasation of polyacrylamide gel was detected on mammography in one asymptomatic patient but was missed in another patient; the latter case was subsequently shown on sonography and MRI. MRI revealed intramuscular polyacrylamide gel that was not detected on sonography in one patient. MRI is probably the most sensitive technique in the assessment of complications of polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty. Sonography is easily available and may be preferable to mammography given the young age of these patients. Sonography can also be used to provide guidance for aspiration of inflamed collections. Aspiration is both diagnostic and therapeutic because bacteriologic studies aid in choosing antibiotic therapy and aspiration of sufficient amounts may alleviate symptoms.

Our observations were limited by the small numbers in this series and by the lack of corresponding mammography, sonography, and MRI studies for all patients. This study was also in part limited by the young age of the patients, resulting in a preference for sonography or MRI. Additional long-term studies with more patients would be contributory.

Women with polyacrylamide gel–augmented breasts will be encountered when they become candidates for breast cancer screening. Mammographic screening is feasible provided that the gel has not been injected in multiple locations throughout the breast. We believe that standard mediolateral oblique and craniocaudal views will suffice in most patients. Pinched views obtained for conventional implants may not be possible in this setting because polyacrylamide gel cannot reliably be distinguished from native breast tissue or portions of gel may have extravasated. Presumably, an underlying opacity may be obscured by the presence of polyacrylamide gel. Conversely, extravasated polyacrylamide gel may masquerade as a "mass" on mammography. Therefore, assessment for suspicious calcifications and for distortions of the underlying visible breast parenchyma should be the main goal of screening mammography. Sonography and MRI constitute important tools for the workup of patients with abnormal mammography findings.

The long-term complications of polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty are not known. Polyacrylamide molecules in cosmetic preparations do not appear to penetrate the skin and have not been reported to be toxic in oral studies [1]. However, the acrylamide monomer is present in all polyacrylamide preparations as a by-product in polymerization. Its levels are not constant, ranging from < 0.1% to 0.1% [1]. There are also concerns of possible degradation of polyacrylamide into monoacrylamide. Monoacrylamide is both a neurotoxin and a tumor initiator and has been shown to increase the incidence of mammary gland tumors in female rats [1].

In conclusion, many women who have undergone polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty are now presenting with complications associated with the procedure. The long-term effects of polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty are unknown. Imaging this population of women has implications for routine screening and diagnostic work. Mammography, sonography, and MRI may be used in the assessment of short-term complications, although MRI appears to be the most sensitive. Mammographic breast cancer screening can still be performed in eligible women. Knowledge of the normal radiologic appearances of polyacrylamide gel–augmented breasts as well as of complications associated with polyacrylamide gel mammoplasty is useful in the accurate diagnosis and sometimes in the treatment of such patients.


References
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
References
 

  1. [No authors listed]. Amended final report on the safety assessment of polyacrylamide and acrylamide residues in cosmetics. Int J Toxicol 2005; 24[suppl 2]: 21–50[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  2. Leung KM, Yeoh GP, Chan KW. Breast pathology in complications associated with polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) mammoplasty. Hong Kong Med J 2007; 13:137 –140[Medline]
  3. Cheng NX, Wang YL, Wang JH, Zhang XM, Zhong H. Complications of breast augmentation with injected hydrophilic polyacrylamide gel. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2002;26 : 375–382[CrossRef][Medline]
  4. Christensen LH, Breiting VB, Aasted A, Jøsrgensen A, Kebuladze I. Long-term effects of polyacrylamide gel on human breast tissue. Plast Reconstr Surg 2003;111 :1883 –1890[CrossRef][Medline]
  5. Qiao Q, Wang X, Sun J, et al. Management for postoperative complications of breast augmentation by injected polyacrylamide hydrogel. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2005;29 : 156–161; discussion 162[CrossRef][Medline]
  6. Xu LY, Kong XQ, Tian ZX, Qiu DS. Magnetic resonance imaging on complications of breast augmentation with injected hydrophilic polyacrylamide gel. Chin Med J (Engl) 2006;119 :1311 –1314[Medline]
  7. Stavros AT, Rapp CL. Nontargeted indications: mammary implants. In: Stavros AT. Breast ultrasound. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2004:199 –275

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