Mediastinal silicone lymphadenopathy revealed after thymectomy for autoimmune myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Breast reconstruction is a very popular surgical intervention performed either for cosmetic reasons or after oncological resections. Even though silicone is considered to be an inert material, there are side effects that have been reported, such as silicone lymphadenopathy. In the case reported herein, a silicone lymphadenopathy of the internal mammary and the anterior mediastinal lymph nodes were revealed after a thymectomy for autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Silicone lymphadenopathy should always be part of the differential diagnosis of enlarged lymph nodes, in patients with previous cosmetic or oncoplastic surgery with the use of silicone gel breast implants. Special attention should be paid in case of previous breast cancer in order to rule out metastasis.