Snowstorm sign (extracapsular breast implant rupture)

Last revised by Andrew Murphy ◉ on 23 Mar 2023

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Di Muzio B, Yap J, Murphy A, et al. Snowstorm sign (extracapsular breast implant rupture). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Sep 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-48698

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-48698

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/48698

rID:

48698

Article created:

20 Oct 2016, Bruno Di Muzio ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Bruno Di Muzio had no recorded disclosures.

View Bruno Di Muzio's current disclosures

Last revised:

23 Mar 2023, Andrew Murphy ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Andrew Murphy had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Andrew Murphy's current disclosures

Revisions:

6 times, by 5 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Breast

Sections:

Signs

Tags:

cases

Synonyms:

Snowstorm appearance (extracapsular breast implant rupture)
Echo-dense noise (extracapsular breast implant rupture)
Echogenic noise (extracapsular breast implant rupture)
Echodense noise (extracapsular breast implant rupture)

The snowstorm sign on breast ultrasound imaging represents the presence of free silicone droplets mixed with breast tissue giving a characteristic heterogeneous echogenic appearance with dispersion of the ultrasound beam. It is considered the most reliable sign of extracapsular breast implant rupture ¹. A similar appearance may be seen in axillary nodes in the setting of gel bleed or silicone lymphadenopathy.

A similar sonographic sign has also been described in complete hydatiform moles.