Accuracy of Ultrasonography in Breast Implant Rupture Diagnosis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Plast Reconstr Surg. 2021 Nov 1;148(5):939-947. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000008408.

Abstract

Background: Breast augmentation is the most common aesthetic operation performed in the United States and worldwide; 1,862,506 breast augmentation procedures were performed in 2018, an increase of 27.6 percent compared to 2014 data.

Methods: In the present study, the authors performed a systematic review to identify the accuracy of ultrasonography for diagnosing breast prosthesis rupture. Studies in which the ultrasound diagnostic test was compared to a surgical finding as a reference standard were reviewed.

Results: As a result, 20 primary studies were included in the analyses, with a total of 1987 patients and 3297 prostheses. The use of ultrasound for diagnosis of breast prosthesis rupture presented the following results: pooled sensitivity, 73.7 percent (95 percent CI, 70.2 to 77.1 percent); pooled specificity, 87.8 percent (95 percent CI, 86.5 to 89.0); area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.7762; diagnostic odds ratio, 11.04 (95 percent CI, 5.79 to 21.08).

Conclusion: This study supports that ultrasound of breast prostheses is an adequate tool in the diagnosis of rupture.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Meta-Analysis
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Breast / diagnostic imaging*
  • Breast Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Breast Diseases / etiology
  • Breast Diseases / surgery
  • Breast Implantation / adverse effects*
  • Breast Implantation / instrumentation
  • Breast Implants / adverse effects*
  • Device Removal / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Prosthesis Failure*
  • ROC Curve
  • Ultrasonography / statistics & numerical data