The fungal contamination of tissue expanders is rarely reported. There are, however, occasional reports of fungi in association with inflatable mammary implants. We describe the colonisation of a tissue expander with Candida albicans, resulting in the fluid becoming a turbid brown colour. The possible modes of inoculation and survival of the microorganism within the expander shell were investigated by means of biochemical and microbiological analyses of the fluid. The colonisation of silicone implants by opportunistic fungi is probably more common than has been reported, and precautions that can be taken to avoid this complication are emphasised.
Copyright 2002 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons.