anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with breast implants

a forty two years old woman with a history of bilateral breast augmentation for cosmetic reasons was presented for poor healing of the surgical site. tissue and periprosthetic fluid were removed from the wound site revealing an atypical lymphoid infiltrate. subsequently the patient developed axillary lymph adenopathy. excisional biopsy was performed. flow cytometry was non-diagnostic. she continued to heal poorly and eventually had removal of implant during a simple mastectomy. a nodular area in the breast specimen showed alk negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (alcl). the patient was treated in the private section, with only a pathology consultation being done at our institution (figures 1-3).