By Wigley, F.M., et al.
1992, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD

Female patients with a clinical diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma, SSc) followed at two university-based scleroderma clinical research centers were surveyed to determine their history of augmentation mammoplasty. Pretested questionnaires were mailed to patients by each center and standards ARAMISS protocols were used to maximize response. Among 210 Baltimore respondents with complete data, 178 (85%) were Caucasian, 137 (65%) were married, mean age at diagnosis was 44 years, and mean duration of SSc was 11 years. Forty-six (22%) patients had a history of breast surgery, indications were benign lesions (22), cancer (11), fibrocystic disease (8), and other (5). Only 3 patients had undergone augmentation mammoplasty with silicone gel-filled prosthesis, 2 before and 1 after the diagnosis of SSc.

Among 531 Pittsburgh respondents with complete data, 496 (93%) were Caucasian, 388 (74%) were married, mean age at diagnosis was 44 years, and mean duration of SSc was 14 years. Only 7 patients had undergone augmentation mammoplasty, 6 with silicone gel-filled and 1 with saline-filled prostheses. Of the 6 with silicone gel-filled prostheses, 3 underwent mammoplasty before and 3 after diagnosis of SSc.

Thus, the overall prevalence of augmentation mammoplasty prior to the diagnosis of SSc was 0.66 percent: 0.95 and 0.55 percent in Baltimore and Pittsburgh respondents, respectively. This is not significantly different from the prevalence of 0.65 to 2 percent estimated for the U.S. adult female population. These data fail to support the hypothesis that augmentation mammoplasty with silicone gel-filled prostheses is a risk factor for the development of SSc.