Background: Evaluation of silicone-induced morbidity in skin has been hampered by the difficulty of detecting silicone in tissue because conventional methods are nonquantitative and insensitive.
Objective: We attempted to determine whether silicone could be identified and quantitated in skin by means of electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA).
Methods: Skin biopsy specimens were obtained from the nose, chin, malar region, and inner arm of a patient who had received injections of silicone gel in his nose and chin. Frozen sections were dried under vacuum and examined by means of ESCA. Contiguous sections were examined by light microscopy.
Results: The surface concentrations of silicone were as follows: chin, 20.6% +/- 3.6%; nose, 19.0%; malar region, 2.6% +/- 1.6%; inner arm, 0.0% +/- 0.0%. Light microscopy revealed homogeneous "globules" consistent with silicone in the chin and nose sections only; the malar region and inner arm sections showed no evidence of silicone.
Conclusion: ESCA can be used to detect silicone in skin in a specific, highly sensitive, and quantitative manner. This is the first report of quantification of silicone in skin by means of ESCA.