Background: The injection of liquid paraffin wax was a form of breast augmentation practised in Hong Kong 30-40 years ago. Patients may present many years later with complications of this treatment.
Methods: The records of 43 patients diagnosed with paraffinomas of the breast at a teaching hospital in Hong Kong were reviewed. These patients had received paraffin injections 3-41 years (median 17) previously.
Results: Patients presented with hard masses in the breast 4-18 cm (median 17) diameter. Ulceration or infection occurred in 10 patients. Mammography revealed a honeycomb appearance in the affected breast. Treatment included biopsy only (7), excision of masses (3) and total mastectomy (30, bilateral in 27). Histology demonstrated hyalinized and densely sclerotic fibrous tissue with cystic spaces of various sizes.
Conclusions: Awareness of this condition facilitates the differentiation from tuberculosis and carcinoma of the breast which often present late in this population of patients. Adequate treatment usually require total mastectomy.