Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has higher accuracy than ultrasound in diagnosing ruptured silicone implants after breast reconstruction, reports a study in the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Ultrasound is still the most appropriate test for screening and follow-up for women with implant-based breast reconstruction after mastectomy, according to the report by Dr. Mario Rietjens and colleagues of the European Institute of Oncology, Milan. But the new findings suggest that the plastic surgeon should use MRI to make a definitive diagnosis of implant rupture, before performing repeat breast surgery.