Which term describes rupture with silicone leaking into surrounding tissue outside the capsule?

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

Answer: (B)

Rupture with silicone leaking into surrounding tissue outside the capsule is called extra-capsular (extracapsular) rupture. The implant is surrounded by a fibrous capsule; when the shell tears and the silicone escapes beyond that capsule, it disperses into the adjacent breast tissue or beyond. This is different from ruptures that stay contained within the capsule, which are described as intracapsular or intra-capsular ruptures.

A sign you might see for a rupture contained within the capsule on MRI is the linguine sign, where folded silicone strands appear inside a ruptured shell but the outer capsule remains intact. That’s why linguine sign points to intracapsular rupture rather than extracapsular leakage.