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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2015; 42(02): 232-239
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2015.42.2.232
Continuing Medical Education

Foreign Body Granulomas after the Use of Dermal Fillers: Pathophysiology, Clinical Appearance, Histologic Features, and Treatment

Jeong Min Lee
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea
,
Yu Jin Kim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea
› Author AffiliationsWe are grateful to Prof. Kwan Hyun Youn for his high-quality medical illustrations.
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A foreign body granuloma is a non-allergic chronic inflammatory reaction that is mainly composed of multinucleated giant cells. Foreign body granulomas may occur after the administration of any dermal filler. Factors such as the volume of the injection, impurities present in the fillers, and the physical properties of fillers affect granuloma formation. The formation of granulomas involves five phases: protein adsorption, macrophage adhesion, macrophage fusion, and crosstalk. The clinical and pathologic features of granulomas vary depending on the type of filler that causes them. Foreign body granulomas can be treated effectively with intralesional corticosteroid injections. Surgical excisions of granulomas tend to be incomplete because granulomas have ill-defined borders and moreover, surgical excisions may leave scars and deformities.

Keywords

Granuloma, foreign-body - Hyaluronic acid - Collagen - Silicone gels


Publication History

Received: 07 August 2014

Accepted: 18 September 2014

Article published online:
05 May 2022

© 2015. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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