TOXIC-SHOCK-SYNDROME IN PLASTIC-SURGERY PATIENTS - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rapidly developing disease, which may be lethal if not recognized and treated early. TSS unrelated to menstr uation comprises an increasing proportion of the cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control during recent years, and a review of the literature reveals that TSS has is reported with increasing frequency in plastic surgical patients as well. The majority of reports relates to aesthetic plastic surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty, augmenta tion mammaplasty liposuction, and chemical peeling, but cases of TSS f ollowing reconstructive breast surgery with musculocutaneous flaps hav e also been reported. A common denominator seems to be that TSS occurs unexpectedly in healthy patients. Nonmenstrual TSS is apparently asso ciated with a higher mortality rate than TSS associated with menstruat ion. We report on a case of TSS after exchange of silicone implants an d resection of a siliconoma in a 59-year-old woman. Details of the cas e and a review of the literature are presented.