Late Onset Complications Secondary to Polyacrylamide Hydrogel-Based Filler for Rehabilitation of HIV-Related Facial Lipoatropy
ABSTRACT
In 2015 we reported our experience of a 5-year follow-up study regarding the utilization of polyacrylamide hydrogel-based filler for rehabilitation of HIV-related facial lipoatropy.
The outcomes of this study confirmed the safety and efficacy of this noninvasive treatment as already stated in an earlier report of 18-month follow-up period for that study population.
In the 5-year follow-up, patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 study groups: A or B. In Group A, 18 patients (12 men, 6 women) were enrolled and were treated by injection of a variable amount of product in the first session, ranging from 8 to 24 mL, and further touch-ups were performed when needed.
In Group B, 13 patients (9 men, 4 women) were enrolled and were injected with 2 mL of product per session; this treatment was repeated at 8-week intervals until full correction was observed.1 In the 31 treated patients, there was no occurrence of local infection, foreign body reaction, or product migration during the whole follow-up period; in 9 cases, small, nonvisible, palpable nodules where recorded. These nodules appeared within the first 36 months of follow-up and lasted throughout the previous 5-year study.1 In the last 6 months, approximately 10 years after the injections, 3 patients returned with some complications.