Pathologic findings in silicone spallation: autopsy and biopsy studies

It was recently demonstrated that spallation and migration of silicone occurs from blood pump tubings. The embolic particles were widely disseminated in the mononuclear phagocytic system of patients treated by repeated haemodialysis and were associated with a granulomatous inflammation in the liver. This paper presents a detailed documentation of the light microscopic and ultrastructural morphology of embolised silicone in tissue sections from 31 autopsied patients and 41 biopsied liver samples which comprised the original series. The appearances and optical features of silicone appear to be sufficiently characteristic to allow its recognition on morphologic criteria alone.