Silicon analysis of breast and periprosthetic capsular tissue from patients with saline or silicone gel breast implants.

The ubiquitousness of silicon is well known. Recent work has demonstrated measurable baseline levels of silicon in nonaugmented cadavers, subsequent to numerous reports of significant elevations of such levels within patients with silicone breast implants and even more reports alleging a causal relation between silicone gel prostheses and connective-tissue diseases. Despite the lack of scientifically substantiated data that such a relation exists, the calamitous silicone breast implant controversy has ensued. Saline-filled breast implants are constructed with a silicone elastomer envelope that remains in direct contact with periprosthetic capsular tissue following implantation. Although there is no evidence to link saline implants with any disorders, it is important to know if saline breast implants contribute any silicon to human body baseline silicon levels. The present study measured tissue silicon levels in 28 breasts of 16 patients with saline-filled implants to determine if the silicone envelope of these prostheses can contribute to the elevation of such levels. These data were compared with data from 116 breasts of 65 patients with silicone gel-filled prostheses as well as breast tissue from 17 patients (controls) who had never been exposed to either type of implant. Samples of breast tissue and periprosthetic capsular tissue were obtained from patients with both intact and ruptured implants. Silicon levels of breast tissue specimens from patients with saline-filled implants were within the range of the controls if the implants were intact. Silicon levels in periprosthetic capsular tissue from patients with intact saline-filled implants were significantly higher than controls (p < 0.02); however, they were still 100-fold less than capsular tissue levels from patients with intact gel-filled implants. Silicon levels measured in both types of tissue were significantly elevated in patients with silicone gel-filled implants compared with controls (p < 0.01). In the case of ruptured gel implants, breast tissue demonstrated higher silicon levels than did similar specimens from patients with intact implants (p < 0.054); periprosthetic capsular tissue levels also were elevated, although the differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.54). These findings are independent of the implant brand or length of exposure to the particular prosthesis. The finding of elevated levels of silicon in both breast and periprosthetic capsular tissue in patients with silicone gel-filled implants in no way implies or substantiates any claim of a causal relationship between silicone and any reported illnesses.