Scleroderma after silicone augmentation mammoplasty

Scleroderma was diagnosed in five patients two to 21 years after silicone augmentation mammoplasty. Four patients had features of typical scleroderma and one patient had the clinical features of eosinophilic fasciitis. These five patients represent 4.4% of 113 new female patients with scleroderma who were seen during a period of seven years. In contrast, only one (0.3%) of 286 new patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were seen during the same interval had had a breast implant. This difference was statistically significant and suggests a relationship between silicone augmentation mammoplasty and scleroderma. Due to the long period of latency observed, the full impact of this association may not yet be apparent.