AUTOIMMUNE CONNECTIVE-TISSUE DISEASE AND CONNECTIVE-TISSUE DISEASE-LIKE ILLNESSES AFTER SILICONE GEL AUGMENTATION MAMMAPALSTY

Since first reported in 1982, published anecdotal reports have appeare d with increasing frequency of patients in whom autoimmune connective tissue diseases developed after mammary augmentation with silicone gel -filled elastomer envelope-type prostheses. Although scleroderma has b een reported most often, other diagnoses have included systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and mixed con nective tissue disease. Other patients have ill-defined connective tis sue-like illnesses often referred to as ''human adjuvant disease.'' Th e occurrence of dermatomyositis and polymyositis after silicone breast implants appears to be infrequent. We report two new cases of dermato myositis after silicone exposure. In addition, a comprehensive review of the literature pertaining to rheumatic disease and silicone gel aug mentation mammoplasty is presented to provide some perspective on this highly complicated and controversial subject.