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Injecting substances like Synthol for cosmetic muscle enhancement is known, but its potential for causing severe systemic complications is less documented. This case highlights the risks of foreign material migration, initially presenting as a suspected malignancy. A 47-year-old male presented with dyspnea and bilateral diffuse airspace opacities on chest X-ray, initially raising suspicions for metastatic disease. The patient's medical history was unremarkable until further detailed questioning revealed the use of Synthol injections. Initial imaging suggested metastatic soft tissue sarcoma with bilateral lung and various soft tissue masses detected on PET-CT scans. However, subsequent detailed examinations, including a CT-guided biopsy of the lung lesions, revealed no evidence of malignancy but instead chronic inflammation and fibrosis indicative of a reaction to foreign material. This finding prompted a re-evaluation of the initial diagnosis, leading to the identification of Synthol migration as the underlying cause of the patient's symptoms. This case underscores the importance of considering foreign substance migration in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with unexplained tissue masses and emphasizes the need for thorough history-taking in elucidating the etiology of atypical radiologic findings. Early detection and accurate diagnosis can prevent unnecessary invasive procedures and facilitate appropriate management.

Enlarged muscle mass is a new trend in today's world. As a result, a variety of approaches to body sculpting have been used. One of them is synthol. A combination of oil, alcohol and lidocaine make up synthol, a site enhancing oil. Site enhancing oils were developed at the turn of the century for use in aesthetic procedures like breast augmentation and wrinkle treatment. Bodybuilders use synthol to increase muscle volume and women use it for breast and buttock enlargement. The effects of enlargement are immediate. Despite the lack of a clear mechanism of action, aficionados continue to use to improve their exterior appearances. Despite its immediate effects, it is seen to be linked to long-term complications such as muscle fibrosis, granulosis, painful nodules, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary artery obstruction, infection issues, and cerebrovascular accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subculture of bodybuilding is rife with people willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve the perfect physique. One particularly concerning behavior is the injection of site-enhancing-oils (SEO) into lagging muscle groups to achieve instant size and symmetry. The typical SEO is a combination of lidocaine, alcohol, and oil; it is rarely, if ever, administered by a qualified professional. As a result, there are a variety of potential complications that can manifest in the skin and other organ systems. In our case, a 41-year-old former competitive bodybuilder was referred to our clinic for excision of a subcutaneous nodule. The initial histopathology was concerning for lymphoma, but a more thorough history and review of systems were completely negative. The patient underwent a negative systemic lymphoma workup and it was not until we discussed the prospects of radiation and other forms of treatment that he revealed a history of SEO use, as well as other identical nodules on his body. Subsequent excisions revealed a more classic sclerosing lipogranuloma-type reaction pattern. Owing to the taboo nature of SEOs, most patients are reluctant to provide this vital piece of historical information, highlighting the importance of patient rapport and clinical-pathologic correlation in our specialty.

Synthol is an injectable oil used by bodybuilders to make muscles appear bigger. Widely available on the Internet, it is reported to carry a wide range of health risks and side effects such as localised skin problems, nerve damage and oil-filled cysts, as well as muscle damage and the development of scar tissue. Given the tension between health risk and quick muscle enlargement, how lay users explain and justify their synthol intake becomes an important question. Drawing on discourse analysis, we focus on how lay expertise is worked up by users in the absence of available specialist knowledge by invoking medical and pharmaceutical discourses as legitimation, providing novices with support, gaining trust through positive personal narratives and thus gaining credibility as experts. Results have clear implications for health promotion interventions with bodybuilders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doping is considered to be a major sports problem. This article describes a new threat and challenge to the sport of bodybuilding; the nonmedical use of a chemical in order to mimic muscle hypertrophy. Although muscle fillers are not new, being used for cosmetic purposes in medicine for a long time, the illegal use of muscle fillers has been increasing during the last few years and decades. The history of cosmetic doping, with particular attention to the Brazilian case, is discussed. Limitations are noted and future needed research is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Sasol introduced the Kellogg designed circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactors at Sasol 1 in the 1950s, the commercial high-temperature Fischer–Tropsch (HTFT) process has had a dynamic ongoing development resulting, recently, in the introduction of Sasol advanced synthol (SAS) reactor operation only at Secunda, 1999. It has reached a stage now where the emphasis has shifted for developing a catalyst tailored to these reactors and current market requirements. This paper follows the development of the reactor technology since the early 1940s, highlighting the major developments and giving indications of the effect thereof on gas throughput and bulk product yields. The paper traces Sasol’s journey utilizing the sound, but unproven pilot plant scale-up of Kellogg, to a routine day to day operation and profitable commercial process by means of innovative design changes, general state-of-the-art advances and, importantly, experience! [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: To present treatment strategy for large volumes of injectable non-absorbable 'shell-less' soft tissue fillers (vaseline, synthol, silicone etc.)., Material and Methods: The authors present an experience of surgical treatment of 8 patients who underwent injections of medical vaseline (breast augmentation, n=5) and synthol (muscles enlargement, n=3) and review of the current literature devoted to this problem., Results: Injection of large amounts (over 50 ml) of non-absorbable fillers into soft tissues is unacceptable and leads to numerous complications. Oil-based 'shell-less' fillers cannot be removed by minimally invasive techniques (puncture, mini-incisions, etc.) due to multiple diffuse lesions in the form of oleogranulomas (cysts of different size) and surrounding widespread inflammation and fibrosis of tissues. Surgery is the only adequate method. However, this approach is followed by scars and often tissue contour deformation. Migration of these fillers to other anatomical areas (from the neck to the lower extremities) significantly complicates the situation, treatment and results. In case of categorical refusal of patients from surgical treatment and no complaints, they should be properly informed about possible consequences and complications and dynamic medical supervision is necessary. Intraoperative ultrasound examination is useful for the control of radical removal of pathological areas. Timely removal of non-absorbable fillers allows to avoid serious complications and to achieve good aesthetic results.