Kr. Houpt et Rd. Sontheimer, AUTOIMMUNE CONNECTIVE-TISSUE DISEASE AND CONNECTIVE-TISSUE DISEASE-LIKE ILLNESSES AFTER SILICONE GEL AUGMENTATION MAMMAPALSTY, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 31(4), 1994, pp. 626-642
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.