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Breast implants in patients with differentiated and undifferentiated connective tissue disease
H J Williams1, M H Weisman, C C Berry
1University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132, USA.
Objective:
To assess the frequency of breast implantation and the relationship of the implants to the onset of symptoms in patients with differentiated and undifferentiated connective tissue disease (CTD).
Methods:
We evaluated an inception cohort of patients with differentiated and undifferentiated CTD and symptoms of < 12 months duration when enrolled in 1983-1987. The risk of having breast implants in those patients with early symptoms of CTD was determined in comparison with that in a non-concurrent control group.
Results:
Only 3 of 323 women in the cohort had historical, physical, or chest radiographic evidence of breast implantation. In 1 of the 3 patients, the symptoms of CTD began before the breast implantation. The odds ratio was calculated at 1.15, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.23 to 3.41.
Conclusion:
This study showed an absence of significant risk for prior breast implantation surgery in patients with well-defined or undifferentiated CTD.