Biopsy Results Are Not Sufficient to Exclude Breast Implant-associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Case Mistaken for Disseminated Silicosis

Jonathan Freedman; Andrew Peredo; Julie Rosser; Nicole Christian; Christodoulos Kaoutzanis

doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000003153

Biopsy Results Are Not Sufficient to Exclude Breast Implant-associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: A Case Mistaken for Disseminated Silicosis

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2020 Sep 28;8(9):e3153. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003153. eCollection 2020 Sep.

Authors

Jonathan Freedman¹, Andrew Peredo¹, Julie Rosser¹, Nicole Christian¹, Christodoulos Kaoutzanis¹

Affiliation

¹ Divisions of Plastic Surgery and Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery and Department of Pathology, Anschutz Medical Center, University of Colorado, Denver, Colo.

Abstract

We present a case report of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) that was mistaken as disseminated silicosis after multiple percutaneous biopsies. The correct diagnosis of BIA-ALCL was confirmed only after a pathologic examination of the capsulectomy specimens. A review of the literature of percutaneous biopsies of ALCL showed a diagnostic yield of only 63%. Although percutaneous biopsies may be facile to obtain and may be diagnostic, in our case, biopsies were not sufficient to exclude the diagnosis of BIA-ALCL.

Publication types

Case Reports