Injectable fillers: imaging features and related complications

• Main Author: Mohsen Ahmed Abdelmohsen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2020-07-01
• Series: The Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
• Subjects: Injectable fillers; Nasolabial fold; Fillers complications; Migration; Abscess; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43055-020-00249-4

Abstract Background Injectable fillers are currently widely used in the clinical practice; there are many indications for injectable fillers including facial and gluteal rejuvenation, management of post-traumatic facial disfiguring, and pathological volumetric loss secondary to certain disease medications like human immune deficiency virus (HIV) medications. Radiologists should be familiar with the specific imaging features of the injectable fillers, characteristic anatomical locations, and possible complications to avoid diagnostic pitfalls especially when incidentally discovered while imaging of other pathological process like neoplastic work up or granulomatous lesions follow-up. Results The study included 48 patients (45 females and 3 males): 44 patients with facial injectable fillers and four patients with pelvic injectable fillers. Of the 48 patients, 37 patients showed unremarkable fillers features with normal morphological features and anatomical distribution, and eleven patients showed complications: six patients showed one complication, and five patients showed more than one complications. Dedicated fillers imaging study was done in 22 patients, while in the other 26 patients, imaging was done for other reasons, and fillers were notified and documented. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done for 46 patients; two patients were subjected to combine ultra-sonographic and CT examinations with no clinical indication for MRI study assessment. Conclusion Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an effective tool for evaluation of facial and gluteal region fillers with delineation of their imaging features and related potential complications. Differentiation between fillers and neoplastic or granulomatous lesions could be accurately done with MRI.