MR imaging of breast implants.

MR imaging has proved to be an excellent imaging modality in locating free silicone and evaluating an implant for rupture, with a sensitivity of approximately 94% and specificity of 97%. Silicone has a unique MR resonance frequency and long T1 and T2 relaxation times, which allows several MR sequences to provide excellent diagnostic images. The most commonly used sequences include T2-weighted, STIR, and chemical shift imaging (Figs. 3, 13, and 14). The T2-weighted and STIR sequences are often used in conjunction with chemical water suppression. The most reliable findings on MR images for detection of implant rupture include identification of the collapsed implant shell (linguine sign) and free silicone within the breast parenchyma.