A Case of Abscess of the Nasal Vestibule Fifty Years after a Rhinoplasty Using a Silicone Implant

Abstract

We report a case with a nasal vestibule abscess occurring about fifty years after a rhinoplasty involving a silicone implant. An 83-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of crusting of the nasal vestibule. She initially withheld information about having undergone breast enlargement surgery and rhinoplasty involving a silicone implant about fifty years earlier. Nine months later, we diagnosed the patient as having a complication from rhinoplasty. We proposed having the materials used in the rhinoplasty surgically removed as soon as possible, but she refused to undergo the surgery. One year and eight months later, she finally agreed to undergo the surgery. We removed the silicone, and her physical condition improved. Here, we discuss the treatment of chronic infections associated with cosmetic surgery based on the presently reported case and referring to medical literature.