Foreign-Body Reaction Presenting as Persistent Postoperative Dermatitis Following Breast Expander Reconstruction Requiring Explantation: A Case Report Breast FBR
Abstract
Background: Foreign-body reaction (FBR) is an uncommon clinically significant complication of implant-based breast reconstruction. Persistent postoperative dermatitis may mimic more frequent complications such as infection, malignancy, lymphatic dysfunction, or hypersensitivity, making diagnosis challenging.
Case Presentation: A 48-year-old woman developed persistent pruritic dermatitis after immediate breast reconstruction with a tissue expander. The skin changes progressed despite antibiotic and topical corticosteroid therapy and remained unchanged after expander deflation. Infection, implant rupture, and malignancy were investigated and reasonably excluded. Explantation with total capsulectomy was subsequently performed as both a diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. Histopathological examination demonstrated a reactive lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with focal multinucleated foreign-body giant cells within the periprosthetic capsule, without microorganisms or malignancy. The dermatitis completely resolved following explantation.
Conclusion: Clinically significant FBR should be considered in patients with persistent postoperative dermatitis after implant-based breast reconstruction when more common etiologies have been reasonably excluded. Explantation may provide diagnostic clarification and therapeutic resolution in selected cases.
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Authors
Copyright (c) 2026 Juan Pablo Zaraza Duarte, María Alexandra Bernal Niño, Laura Alejandra Garzón Bautista, Ana María Arias Copete, Martha Lucía Cadena Lleras
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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