Breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL): a challenging cytological diagnosis with hybrid PET/MRI staging and follow-up

• Published in: Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan) Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 527 - 532
• Main Authors: Verde, Francesco, Vigliar, Elena, Romeo, Valeria, Campanino, Maria Raffaela, Accurso, Antonello, Canta, Luigi, Garbino, Nunzia, Basso, Luca, Cavaliere, Carlo, Nicolai, Emanuele, Imbriaco, Massimo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01-03-2021; Springer
• Subjects: Aluminum compounds; Cancer Research; Case Report; Diagnosis; Evaluation; Evidence-based medicine; Implants, Artificial; Lymphomas; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Prosthesis; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Peri-implant effusion; Breast cancer; PET/MRI; BIA-ALCL
• ISSN: 1340-6868; 1880-4233
• DOI: 10.1007/s12282-020-01178-w

We report a case of a 55-year-old woman with left breast cosmetic augmentation performed 5 years earlier, showing at ultrasound a left small amount of peri-implant effusion suspicious for an anaplastic large cell lymphoma localization. The final diagnosis was obtained by cytology using a small amount of fluid (6 ml). Subsequently, hybrid 18F-FDG PET/MRI was used for pre-operative staging and follow-up. An appropriate management of BIA-ALCL could be obtained even in cases of a small amount of peri-implant effusion, using a comprehensive approach of clinical and imaging evaluation, including PET/MRI as useful and innovative staging imaging technique.