Which sign is described as an MRI finding for implant rupture?

• A. Linguini sign - MRI
• B. Intra-capsular implant rupture
• C. Extra-capsular implant rupture
• D. Intracapsular implant rupture

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing the MRI appearance that indicates an implant rupture, specifically the linguine sign. On MRI, when the implant shell ruptures but the fibrous capsule remains intact, the shell collapses inside that capsule and forms multiple thin, wavy lines within the silicone gel. This pattern looks like strands of linguine, hence the name. The linguine sign is a highly specific marker of intracapsular (within the capsule) rupture because the silicone is still confined inside the capsule—the collapsed shell creates those distinctive serpentine lines.

If silicone were leaking outside the capsule (extracapsular rupture), you wouldn’t see the collapsed shell lines inside the capsule; you’d instead see silicone in the surrounding breast tissue or associated findings outside the capsule. So the linguine sign on MRI is the classic, best indicator of an intracapsular rupture, making it the correct association.