Tumor Remnant After Silicone Implant en Block Capsulectomy: The Magnetic Resonance Role
Abstract Recently, there has been an increase in surgeries to treat silicone implants complications. These procedures are generally related to diseased fibrous capsules, whose most common clinical manifestation is capsular contracture. Other frequently found presentations are intracapsular collection and local inflammatory signs. The causes of these complications are not well established. Some reports associate them with the implant texture, gel bleeding, silicone-induced granuloma, and infectious processes. Although rare, there is an association with malignant neoplasia in the literature, where Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is the most severe complication. Patients often do not perform a Magnetic Resonance (MRI) scan for the explant surgical programming.The accuracy of MRI to assess fibrous capsule tumor remnants depends on the surgical time. The ideal time for the evaluation is up to 72 hours after the surgical time when the repair tissue starts to appear. Up to 2-3 weeks after surgery, MRI can provide information regarding the presence of a residual tumor. After this period, the presence of scar tissue impairs the analysis. This short report discusses the role of MRI in the evaluation of residual fibrous capsules in the postoperative period.