DETECTION OF BREAST IMPLANT RUPTURE WITH ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY

A new method for diagnosis of ruptured silicone gel-filled implants wa s developed. The method uses a recently described technique for insert ion of a catheter into an implant capsule. This allows irrigation with saline and recovery of cells for cytopathologic diagnosis. Cytopathol ogic diagnosis was both sensitive (94 percent) and specific (95-percen t) in the detection of intracellular foreign material accompanying rup tured implants. The intracellular material has been positively identif ied as silicone. This laboratory study included 42 samples obtained at three time intervals on 5 rabbits, each of which had one ''ruptured'' and one intact implant for a total of 10 implants.