Late-Onset Salmonella Abscess of a Silicone Breast Implant Presenting 40 Years After Augmentation

We present a rare case of breast implant infection due to Salmonella species in a 74-year-old woman who underwent breast augmentation in 1985. Forty years later, in 2025, she developed sudden left breast edema, pain, and fever. She denies any previous gastrointestinal symptoms. She was prescribed oral antibiotics without any improvement, and she was subsequently admitted to the hospital and was started on broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. CT scan of the chest revealed dermal thickening of the left breast consistent with cellulitis, a fluid collection concerning for a developing abscess, and a possible implant rupture. She then underwent incision and drainage of the left breast with implant removal. Intraoperative cultures grew 4+ Salmonella species. She was switched to oral levofloxacin for a total of 2 weeks and discharged home with wound care, with subsequent clinical improvement. In our patient, the source of the Salmonella infection is not clear, and it was an unexpected finding. This underscores the important role of obtaining intraoperative cultures in all cases of breast implant infection.