Search

Wojciech Marusza,1 Romuald Olszanski,2 Janusz Sierdzinski,3 Tomasz Ostrowski,4 Kamila Szyller,1 Grazyna Mlynarczyk,5 Irina Netsvyetayeva5 1Academy of Face Sculpting, Warsaw, Poland; 2Military Institute of Health Services, Warsaw, Poland; 3Department of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 4Department of General and Endocrine Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 5Department of Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Purpose: Late bacterial infections (LBIs) after esthetic facial augmentation using hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are relatively rare yet severe complications that are difficult to treat. No adequate treatment standards have hitherto been formulated. We have bridged this gap by formulating a treatment scheme based on the principles of treating foreign-body implantation-related infections and treating bacterial growth in the form of biofilm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a comprehensive scheme for treating LBI complications after facial augmentation using cross-linked HA fillers. Methods: A total of 22 patients with LBI symptoms at a site of cross-linked HA injection underwent treatment and observation. The comprehensive treatment scheme formulated by Marusza and Netsvyetayeva (M&N scheme) comprised draining the lesion, dissolution of cross-linked HA with hyaluronidase, broad-spectrum antibiotic combination therapy, and use of probiotics. While 17 patients underwent the M&N scheme, the remaining five were treated with other schemes. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using Mann–Whitney U and χ2 nonparametric tests with SAS 9.4 software. Results: All 17 patients who underwent the M&N scheme experienced resolution of symptoms, with no recurrence of infection at the HA-injection sites. Conclusion: To treat LBI at a site of cross-linked HA administration, the principles applicable to infections resulting from implantation of a foreign body must be followed. The treatment period should be sufficiently long for complete resolution of symptoms. The efficacy of treatment is considered proven if 2 months have elapsed without recurrence since the symptoms resolved. The M&N scheme is recommended for use as the first therapeutic option for treating LBI related to soft-tissue fillers. Keywords: bacterial biofilm, hyaluronic acid, soft-tissue filler complications, biofilm treatment

Irina Netsvyetayeva,1 Wojciech Marusza,2 Romuald Olszanski,3 Kamila Szyller,2 Aneta Krolak-Ulinska,2 Ewa Swoboda-Kopec,1 Janusz Sierdzinski,4 Zachary Szymonski,5 Grazyna Mlynarczyk1 1Department of Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland; 2Academy of Face Sculpturing, Warsaw, Poland; 3Military Institute of Health Services, Warsaw, Poland; 4Department of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland; 5Department of Zoology, Magdalen College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Introduction: Cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) gel is widely used in esthetic medicine. Late bacterial infection (LBI) is a rare, but severe complication after HA augmentation. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients who underwent the HA injection procedure and developed LBI had qualitatively different bacterial flora on the skin compared to patients who underwent the procedure without any complications. Methods: The study group comprised 10 previously healthy women with recently diagnosed, untreated LBI after HA augmentation. The control group comprised 17 healthy women who had a similar amount of HA injected with no complications. To assess the difference between the two groups, their skin flora was cultured from nasal swabs, both before and after antibiotic treatment in the study group. Results: A significant increase in the incidence of Staphylococcus epidermidis was detected in the control group (P=0.000) compared to the study group. The study group showed a significantly higher incidence of Staphylococcus aureus (P=0.005), Klebsiella pneumoniae (P=0.006), Klebsiella oxytoca (P=0.048), and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (P=0.048) compared to the control group. Conclusion: The bacterial flora on the skin differed in patients with LBI from the control group. The control group’s bacterial skin flora was dominated by S. epidermidis. Patients with LBI had a bacterial skin flora dominated by potentially pathogenic bacteria. Keywords: hyaluronic acid, late bacterial infection, bacterial biofilm, skin bacterial flora, S. epidermidis, S. aureus, Klebsiella spp.

Wojciech Marusza1, Grazyna Mlynarczyk2, Romuald Olszanski3, Irina Netsvyetayeva2, Michael Obrowski1, Tommaso Iannitti4, Beniamino Palmieri51Academy of Face Sculpturing, 2Department of Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 3Military Institute of Health Services, Warsaw, Poland; 4Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, KY, USA; 5Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Surgical Clinic, Modena, ItalyAbstract: Injectable filling agents offer the promise of a better appearance without surgery and, among them, hyaluronic acid is the most commonly used. Although complications are rare, it is necessary to know the possible side effects and complications in order to be prepared for their management. That is why many researchers have been focusing on the interactions between hyaluronic acid and pathogens, inflammatory mediators, the immune system, and markers of oxidative stress to achieve efficient drug delivery, given that hyaluronic acid has widening applications in the field of nanomedicine. Here we report the case of a 37-year-old female patient who returned to our clinic with an abscess in her left cheek 3 months after a deep injection of 1 mL of stabilized hyaluronic acid in both cheeks. Steroid and antibiotic therapy was initiated without success, and abscess drainage was performed. Extraction of tooth 16 was performed 11 days after insertion of drains into the abscess. Laboratory blood tests showed acute inflammation of presumed bacterial etiology. Microbiological examination of pus was negative. Bacterial cultures were found in the extracted tooth. After antibiotic therapy, a complete reversal of the pathological process was observed. The present report highlights the need to assess periodontal problems prior to any aesthetic facial treatment. Analyses of further case reports and clinical studies are necessary to understand the potential role of hyaluronic acid in the formation of biofilm, and how to avoid this complication, thereby increasing the safety of hyaluronic acid-based procedures.Keywords: pantomogram, biofilm, hyaluronic acid, fluorescent in situ hybridization, peptide nucleic acids