Mammography after prosthesis placement for augmentation or reconstructive mammoplasty.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Breast Imaging
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Breast augmentation and reconstruction commonly utilize prostheses.
• Mammographic surveillance is crucial for detecting breast cancer in these patients.
• Prosthesis placement can potentially alter mammographic interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate mammographic findings in patients with various breast prostheses.
• To assess the impact of prosthesis type and placement on the detection of abnormalities, including malignancy.
• To compare the detectability of masses between retroglandular and subpectoral implant placements.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of mammograms from 59 women who underwent mammoplasty with prostheses.
• Categorization of prostheses by type: free silicone, retroglandular, and subpectoral.
• Analysis of prosthesis-related abnormalities and palpable/non-palpable masses.

Main Results:

• Abnormalities like contour changes and calcifications were more frequent with retroglandular implants.
• Five palpable masses developed; four were associated with retroglandular prostheses and mammographically occult.
• One non-palpable malignancy with microcalcifications was detected in a breast with a retroglandular prosthesis.

Conclusions:

• Retroglandular prostheses can obscure masses, including malignancies, due to overlying dense glandular tissue.
• Subpectoral implants may offer improved mammographic visibility of breast lesions.
• Mammographic interpretation requires careful consideration of prosthesis type and placement.