First evaluation study of the dutch working party on silicone breast implants (SBI) and the silicone-related symptom complex (SRSC)

This cohort study evaluates the postoperative prevalence of antinuclear ant ibodies (ANA) in relation to symptoms related to the so-called silicone-rel ated symptom complex (SRSC). A total of 63 women who underwent mastectomy f ollowed by immediate breast reconstruction with a silicone implant (SBI) be tween Septembber 1990 and May 1995 at the University Hospital Rotterdam/Dan iel den Hoed Cancer Center, participated voluntarily in the study. Their se ra were tested for the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and at the same time they were screened for the prevalence of SRSC-related symptoms by questionnaire. All patients were also examined physically. Sixteen per cen t of the women were ANA positive. There was no difference in SRSC expressio n between ANA-positive and ANA-negative women. The lack of difference in sy mptom expression between the ANA-positive and ANA-negative women and the ra ther low complaint percentage proves that if ANA positivity is related to t he SRSC, we found no evidence that patients with a SBI with a positive ANA differed from the ANA-negative patients.