SPECIAL TOPIC Foreign Body Granulomas after All Injectable Dermal Fillers: Part 1. Possible Causes Foot Gottfried Lemperle, M.D., Ph.D. Nelly Gauthier-Hazan, M.D. Marianne Wolters, M.D. Marita Eisemann-Klein, M.D. Ute Zimmermann, M.D. David M. Duffy, M.D. San Diego and Los Angeles, Calif.; Paris, France; and Frankfurt am Main and Regensburg, Germany Summary Genuine granuloma formation following implantation of injectable dermal fillers is a rare complication, with incidences ranging from one in 100 patients (1 percent) to one in 5000 (0.02 percent). Foreign body granulomas occur several months to years after injection at all implantation sites at the same time. Without treatment, they may grow to the size of beans, remain virtually unchanged for some years, and then resolve spontaneously. Three clinical and histologic types of foreign body granulomas can be distinguished: 1. Cystic granulomas (synonyms: inflammatory, palisading, collagenolytic): these are caused mainly by injected biological gels such as collagens and hyaluronic acids. Their clinical signs are fluctuation (sterile abscess), extreme redness, and induration. Cystic granulomas are small and superficial, occur within the first year, and disappear spontaneously within another year. They are surrounded by a significant number of giant cells. 2. Edematous granulomas (synonym: lipogranuloma): these are caused by ar- tificial fluids such as silicone and polyacrylamides. They appear suddenly years after injection with extensive swelling and are surrounded and infil- trated by mononuclear and inflammatory cells. 3. Sclerosing granulomas (synonyms: sarcoidal and xanthelasmic): these are caused by particulate injectables composed of polymethylmethacrylate, poly- lactic acid, hydroxyethylmethacrylate, calcium-hydroxylapatite, or dextran microspheres. Sclerosing granulomas occur generally 6 months to 3 years after implantation and are visible, often bluish confined nodules. Histolog- ically, the implant is infiltrated by many macrophages and giant cells, fibro- blasts, and collagen fibers but few inflammatory cells. Permanent implants are not characterized by a higher rate of foreign body granuloma per se than temporary implants; however, their clinical appearance is more pronounced and their persistence longer if not treated adequately. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 123: 1, 2009.) T he increasing use of dermal filler substances in the treatment of wrinkles, the immense variety of new products, and the introduc- tion of new names without proper disclosure of their chemical contents make any overview difficult. 1 The general lack of reliable scientific description and trustworthy clinical data and pub- lications—positive or negative—meet a general lack of scientific interest and criticism on the part of the injecting physician. The sudden occurrence of a complication then leads to astonishment, neg- AQ: 1 From the Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Califor- nia, San Diego; private practice; the Department of Plastic Surgery, Caritas-Hospital St. Josef; the Private Institute of Histopathology; and the Department of Dermatology, Uni- versity of Southern California, Los Angeles. Received for publication June 14, 2007; accepted October 18, 2007. Copyright ©2009 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e31818236d7 ligence, blame directed at the product, and often wrongful treatment of these troublesome compli- cations. The injectable dermal filler market has been undergoing a dynamic growth since the public became aware of nonsurgical approaches leading to wrinkle-free skin. Resorbable and nonresorb- able materials have been made injectable and are Disclosure: Gottfried Lemperle, M.D., Ph.D., is not an employee, consultant, agent, or representative of Artes Medical, Inc., which is the manufacturer of ArteFill. The opinions expressed in the article are not the opinions of Artes Medical, Inc. Dr. Lemperle is a shareholder of Artes Medical, Inc. None of the other authors has a financial interest in any of the products, devices, or drugs mentioned in this article. www.PRSJournal.com AQ: 1 rich3/zpr-prs/zpr-prs/zpr00609/zpr2421-09z xppws Sⴝ1 4/21/09 19:37 4/Color Figure(s): F1-13 Art: PRS200443 Input-nlm