[Systemic manifestations after breast prosthesis]

Are breast implants associated with systemic manifestations? Because reliable, systematic evaluations of effects potentially associated with silicone implants are lacking, the safety of breast implants generates endless, much publicized controversies. In this update, we review published reports of systemic manifestations after mammoplasty, effects of implant removal, pathological findings, and experimental properties of silicones. Results of our analysis suggest that breast implants have a potential for inducing connective tissue disease in some individuals. Follow-ups of patients enrolled in prospective studies are still too short to allow definite conclusions.