Epidemiologic evidence does not support an association between
silicone breast implants and connective tissue or other
rheumatic diseases. However, a recent study has suggested that women with ruptured implants may be at increased risk of developing
fibromyalgia. An analysis of adverse health outcomes according to
breast implant rupture status was conducted in 238 unselected Danish women with cosmetic
silicone breast implants. Ninety-two of the women had definite implant
rupture, and 146 had intact implants as determined by magnetic resonance imaging. Before undergoing imaging, the women provided blood samples and completed a self-administered questionnaire. Women with ruptured implants overall, and the subgroup with extracapsular
ruptures (n = 23), were compared with women with intact implants regarding a number of self-reported diseases and symptoms and the presence of specific
autoantibodies, such as
antinuclear antibodies,
rheumatoid factor, and
cardiolipin immunoglobulin G and M
antibodies. Overall, there were no differences in the occurrence of self-reported diseases or symptoms or in the presence of
autoantibodies between women with intact implants and women with ruptured implants, including extracapsular
rupture. The only exception was capsular
contracture, which was reported six times more frequently by women with extracapsular
ruptures than by women with intact implants (OR, 6.3; 95 percent CI, 1.7 to 23.5). In conclusion, this study of unselected women with
silicone breast implants could establish no association between
silicone implant
rupture and specific diseases or symptoms related to
connective tissue disease or other rheumatic conditions, except for an excess of capsular
contracture among women with extracapsular
rupture.