Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34422583›Full record

ArticleGland surgery2021

Internal mammary lymph node siliconoma in absence of prosthesis rupture: a case series that raises concern for potential risk of overdiagnosis.

Valentina Errico, Gianluca Perroni, Flavio Milana, Andrea Vittorio Emanuele Lisa, Emilia Marrazzo, Marco Klinger, Corrado Tinterri, Alberto Testori

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Gland surgery, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. [EJNMMI research · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Valentina ErricoDivision of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
Gianluca PerroniDivision of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
Flavio MilanaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy.
Andrea Vittorio Emanuele LisaPlastic Surgery Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
Emilia MarrazzoBreast Unit Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
Marco KlingerPlastic Surgery Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
Corrado TinterriDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy.
Alberto TestoriDivision of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital · ITHumanitas University · ITUniversity of Milan · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSilicon migration after rupture is an adverse event of breast implant, whose risk increases with the aging of prosthesis. The exact prevalence of this complication remains unclear and reported data are inconsistent. In addition, microscopic diffusion of silicone gel through intact implant, known as gel bleeding, might verify thus complicating diagnosis. Although high cohesive gel has reduced the occurrence of gel bleeding, this phenomenon is still possible and its occurrence rate remains underestimated. If silicon droplets migrate in locoregional lymph node, a swelling that mimics recurrence can arise. Therefore, a risk of overdiagnosis is possible when clinicians rely only on imaging techniques. The aim of this study is to evaluate the actual prevalence of metastasis in internal mammary lymph node (IMLN) in presence of PET positive uptake and no prosthesis rupture.

methodsWe retrospectively evaluated our patient's records and selected those with intact breast implants and suspected relapse in IMLN that underwent biopsy, either surgical or imaging guided. All patients performed PET/CT scan showing pathological uptake in IMLNs. A breast magnetic resonance (MRI) or ultrasound (US) imaging confirmed a suspicious adenopathy and excluded prosthesis rupture. From 2015 to 2019 a total of nine patients underwent biopsy of the IMLN and only six of them met inclusion criteria.

resultsFour biopsies were CT-guided, two were surgical. Three patients (50%) were diagnosed with breast cancer relapse while two (33.3%) were found with siliconoma and one (16.7%) was inflammatory.

conclusionsSiliconoma can occur even without evidence of capsule rupture, challenging the clinicians and leading to a risk of relapse over diagnosis. Echographic, MRI and nuclear medicine imaging criteria may be not sufficient in differential diagnosis. To overcome the issue, we suggest introducing into the clinical practice the biopsy of suspicious enlarged IMLN with minimally invasive technique.

Indexed as

breast cancerbreast implantcase seriesinternal mammary lymph node (IMLN)Siliconoma

Identifiers

PMID34422583
PMCPMC8340343
OpenAlexW3179388584

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.