Case Reports of Adipose-derived Stem Cell Therapy for Nasal Skin Necrosis after Filler Injection

Abstract

With the gradual increase of cases using fillers, cases of patients treated by non-medical professionals or inexperienced physicians resulting in complications are also increasing. We herein report 2 patients who experienced acute complications after receiving filler injections and were successfully treated with adipose-derived stem cell (ADSCs) therapy. Case 1 was a 23-year-old female patient who received a filler (Restylane) injection in her forehead, glabella, and nose by a non-medical professional. The day after her injection, inflammation was observed with a 3×3 cm skin necrosis. Case 2 was a 30-year-old woman who received a filler injection of hyaluronic acid gel (Juvederm) on her nasal dorsum and tip at a private clinic. She developed erythema and swelling in the filler-injected area A solution containing ADSCs harvested from each patient's abdominal subcutaneous tissue was injected into the lesion at the subcutaneous and dermis levels. The wounds healed without additional treatment. With continuous follow-up, both patients experienced only fine linear scars 6 months postoperatively. By using adipose-derived stem cells, we successfully treated the acute complications of skin necrosis after the filler injection, resulting in much less scarring, and more satisfactory results were achieved not only in wound healing, but also in esthetics.

Keywords: Humans; Hyaluronic acid; Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation; Necrosis.

Fig. 1

Case 1 (A) A 23-year-old female patient. Inflammation and necrosis with swelling, erythema, and pus-like discharge in the nose dorsum and tip area. (B) After foreign body and necrotic tissue removal. The nasal tip shows skin necrosis. (C) View 6 months postoperatively after adipose-derived stem cell therapy. A linear scar remains only in the nose tip area without scar contracture deformity.

Fig. 2

Schematic procedure showing isolation of adipose-derived stem cell