Lumpy silicone-injected breasts: enhanced MRI and microscopic correlation

Clinical images emphasizing on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of silicone-injected breasts with microscopic correlation were presented. A total of 16 patients with a history of silicone injection breast augmentation received MRI examinations due to palpable masses were reviewed. MRI enables the demonstration of the characteristic MR intensities in silicone-injected breasts. Four breast cancers were accurately detected by the enhancement technique including the cancers admixing within the fibrosis and silicone granuloma. This article can document the excellent ability of MRI with high microscopic correlation in examining these clinical, mammographic and ultrasonographic difficult cases. Understanding the MRI features is helpful to approach these patients. On the other hand, these illustrations indicated the importance of enhancement technique in detecting the cancers and in differentiating the angiogenic lesions from nonenhanced silicone granulomas.