Background and objective.

Silicone breast implants have been the subject of doubt regarding their long-term safety: banned in 1992 by the FDA for their possible association with connective tissue, autoimmune and rheumatic diseases, they were commercialized again in 2006. In recent times they have been associated again with adverse effects grouped under the term "breast implant illness" (BII), a term popularized by social networks. These are patients wearing silicone breast prostheses, who report nonspecific systemic symptoms or systemic diseases associated with their implants.

The present paper tries to update the scientific evidence about BII referring to its characterization, prevalence and treatment.

Methods.

Narrative review through a secondary search in PubMed, SciELO, DOAJ and Google Scholar using the terms "Breast", "Implant", "Illness" from 2014 to 2020. Secondary references were also analyzed, selecting the most significant.

Results.

Of the 17 articles included, none considered BII to be a defined disease, but a term popularized by patients and health personnel which included nonspecific symptoms and systemic diseases attributed to silicone prostheses. There is an increase in the incidence in the publications and the prevalence of symptoms has been studied in patients with breast implants, but there are no data on the prevalence of diagnosed BII. There are no laboratory tests to confirm the association of symptoms with breast implants. The search for antibodies to autoimmune diseases is suggested, which can explain the clinical manifestations and rule out other benign or malignant breast pathologies depending on clinical case. Regarding treatment, improvement in symptoms after implant removal has been reported in 6 studies (retrospective cohorts, isolated cases, and studies based on social media accounts). Most of the authors recommend validating the symptoms and, in the event of the patient's desire to remove the implants, carry it out together with a total capsulectomy and pathological study. Reported adverse effects after implant removal are wound infection, breast pain, dissatisfaction with cosmetic results, and the fact that the symptoms of BII do not reverse. Finally, the treatment of autoimmune, rheumatic diseases, and psychiatric disorders is recommended, following current protocols for each pathology.

Conclusions.

The term BII has been popularized mainly in social networks by patients and health personnel as the set of non-specific symptoms and signs and systemic diseases that the patient associates with her silicone implants. There is no scientific evidence to define it as a recognized disease. In the event of BII manifestations, it is suggested to rule out other diseases and respect the will of the patient for implant removal, under adequate informed consent. More rigorous methodology studies are necessary to demonstrate the association of silicone implants with the manifestations described under the term BII.

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