Direct Silicone Injections on Mammography

IMAGING FINDINGS: ​

​Bilateral MLO views demonstrate innumerable high density small round masses within the breasts bilaterally. The patient had a history of direct silicone injections for cosmetic purposes. 

WHY IT MATTERS:

1. Direct silicone injections are occasionally performed in some parts of the world as a form of breast augmentation. This procedure has serious adverse effects and is banned in most countries of the world (including the United States). 
2. Imaging features are similar to the findings of extracapsular silicone implant rupture, however the free silicone is widespread throughout both breasts. 
3. Direct silicone injections can make effectively screening the breast for malignancy nearly impossible.

FURTHER READING:
Imaging Spectrum of Extracapsular Silicone: Correlation of US, MR Imaging, Mammographic, and Histopathologic Findings (RadioGraphics, 1999)