Reviews
Fibromyalgia in patients with breast implants: an environmental trigger?
J.W. Cohen Tervaert1, C. Van Eeden2, M.S. Osman3, A.S. Russell4, Y. Shoenfeld5
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. cohenter@ualberta.ca
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat Gan, and Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel.
CER7
2024 Vol.1, N°2
PI 0036, PF 0044
Reviews
Received: 19/08/2024
Accepted : 10/10/2024
In Press: 07/11/2024
Published: 20/12/2024
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a heterogeneous condition of unclear pathogenesis. Recently, silicone breast implants (SBI) have been implicated as potential triggers for FM. Patients with breast implants may develop fatigue, diffuse joint and/or muscle pain, and brain fog, in addition to symptoms of dysautonomia such as sicca symptoms, pyrexia, and/or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). In 1999, it became evident that patients with SBI related illness develop identical symptoms to those with idiopathic FM suggesting that SBI-associated FM is not an unrecognised new disease. Importantly, however, patients with SBI-associated FM may substantially improve after the removal of explants; whereas those with idiopathic FM, in general, do not recover. Hence, prompt recognition of SBI-associated FM is critical for improving patient quality of life. In the current paper, we review the recent data that supports the scientific evidence of the existence of SBI-associated FM and propose how it can be differentiated from idiopathic FM. Based on the evidence that SBI may trigger FM, we postulate that also other environmental factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of FM.
