Refractile material in the liver of haemodialysis patients

Medical devices and biomaterials pathology. Primary data for health care technology assessment

Through the postmortem examination, pathologists offer the ultimate clinico-pathologic assessment of the efficacy of medical care. Similarly, pathologists can offer a clinico-pathologic assessment of the efficacy of health care technology. Assessment by pathologists has diagnostic authority because it draws on the resources of the laboratories of surgical and necropsy pathology. In this essay we argue for enhancing the accuracy of medical device and biomaterials technology assessment by systematically collecting pathology-oriented data. We recommend the establishment of a pathology-based medical device registry to assess implantable medical device technology by accumulating reports routinely issued by pathology departments throughout the country. We further suggest that establishment of a university-based, industry-supported Medical Device and Biomaterials Pathology Institute to operate the registry, collect recovered, used health care devices, and generate definitive, pathology-based, primary data for health care technology assessment.

Silicone granulomas: report of three cases and review of the literature

Since silicone is rapidly becoming one of the most commonly used biomaterials in modern medicine, pathologists will be observing increasing numbers of cases of silicone-related disease. Although numerous case reports have established that silicone elicits a characteristic response in tissues, the varying tissue reactions to silicone gels, liquids, and elastomers (rubber) have not been emphasized. Three cases are reported, and the literature is reviewed to illustrate the varying features of tissue reaction to silicone in its different forms. The first case is an example of silicone lymphadenopathy in an inguinal lymph node. This case demonstrates exuberant foreign body granuloma formation in response to particles of silicone elastomer. The second case involves a patient who had facial subcutaneous liquid silicone injections, and the third case is that of a woman in whom breast carcinoma developed 13 years after mammary augmentation with liquid silicone injections. These two cases illustrate the characteristic reaction to silicone liquid, with numerous cystic spaces and vacuoles in the soft tissues but minimal or no foreign body giant cell reaction. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis were performed in the first two cases, confirming the presence of silicon. Silicone migration and the clinical significance of various silicone-induced lesions are discussed.

Spallation and migration of silicone from blood-pump tubing in patients on hemodialysis

Spalled particles of silicone were observed in the livers of patients with chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis. The refractile particles of silicone were associated with various degrees of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, and granulomatous hepatitis was evident in nine cases. Retrospective examination revealed the material in 18 of 38 liver-biopsy samples from patients on hemodialysis who had clinical hepatic dysfunction. Of 31 autopsies of patients who had undergone hemodialysis, 22 revealed silicone in the liver, and silicone was also present in the spleen in all cases and in the marrow, lungs, and nodes in some. Giant cells containing silicone were also observed in these organs. Silicone was present in patients who had undergone hemodialysis for six weeks to 84 months (mean, 24 months). The identity of the material was confirmed by atomic absorption and by electron microprobe analysis. The silicone was traced to a segment of silicone tubing located in the roller pump of the dialysis machine.