Heavily calcified breast prostheses

Case contributed by Chris O'Donnell
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Routine chest imaging, breast prostheses inserted 30 years ago.

Patient Data

Age: 65 years
Gender: Female

Calcified breast shadows bilaterally

Heavily calcified host capsules around the prostheses ie, not the prostheses themselves but the host's reaction to those prostheses within a fibrous capsule.  Note that there are radial folds or creases in both prostheses with calcification indicating that are not signs of silicone envelope or shell rupture.  There is, however, disruption of the capsule medially on the right with bulging of the silicone envelope beyond the confines of the calcification. This does not mean that the implants are ruptured just that there has been a breach in the surrounding capsule.

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