Breast implants: is there an association with connective tissue disease?

Following concern over a suggested link between the implantation of silicone gel and connective tissue disease, the Medical Devices Directorate (MDD) of the Department of Health reviewed all available data for submission to a specially convened Expert Advisory Group. Animal studies indicated that silicones are unlikely to stimulate a specific antibody response or cell-mediated immunity, that they have no adverse effect on resistance to infection, and produce minimal effects in the presence of potent adjuvants but can act as adjuvants themselves. The connective tissue disease most commonly claimed to be associated with breast implants is scleroderma. Although one series of patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of this disease than expected, there is no clear indication that the incidence of scleroderma in women with breast implants is any higher than in the general population.