Contralateral axillary silicone lymphadenopathy after modified radical mastectomy and reconstruction

We describe a 49-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her left breast. The patient underwent a modified radical mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with the placement of an expander implant. Two years later, the patient suffered a minor trauma and began to feel the softening of her reconstructed breast, and a growing palpable mass appeared in the contralateral (right) axilla. Examinations revealed the intracapsular rupture of the expander implant. Aspiration cytology from the palpable axillary mass suggested silicone lymphadenopathy. We replaced the ruptured implant, and the lymph node from the contralateral axilla was removed. Silicone lymphadenomegaly in the right axilla was verified by a postoperative histopathological review. This case represents a rare manifestation of silicone lymphadenopathy caused by altered lymphatic drainage due to previous axillary lymphadenectomy. Level of Evidence: Level V, diagnostic study.