Determining Breast Implant Type    

Imaging Characteristics

Sequence	Signal Intensity
	SILICONE	FAT	WATER
T2 FSE	High	High	Very High
IR Water sat	High	Very Low	Low
T2 FSE Water sat	High	Intermediate	Low
T2 Fat sat *	Very Low	Very Low	Very High

* The technologist should always manually tune to the water peak when there are saline implants. If the wrong center frequency is selected, then the fat saturation pulse will not be applied. Remember: saline implants = water center frequency, silicone implants = fat center frequency.

Web Resources

Breast Implant Classification with MR Imaging Correlation
Michael S. Middleton, PhD, MD and Michael P. McNamara, Jr, MD
http://ej.rsna.org/ej3/0112-99.fin/body/onepage.htm

Ask the patient

• Are the implants silicone, saline or both (double lumen)?

• Are both implants the same type?

• Has there been a prior implant rupture?

• When were the implants placed?

• Check mammogram