A HISTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF MEDICAL-GRADE FLUID SILICONE

BACKGROUND. Medical-grade injectable silicone for use in soft tissue a ugmentation is administered subcutaneously by injections of the pure m aterial. OBJECTIVE. TO examine histologically and immunohistochemicall y the characteristics of medical-grade silicone and to identify the ad vantages and disadvantages of the serial puncture technique. RESULTS. In early biopsies, perivascular lymphocytic infiltration with the char acteristic reaction of delayed hypersensitivity (doses, 0.05-0.07 mL) was observed. Immunohistochemically, small local deposits of IgG and I gA were observed around the walls of small vessels. In later biopsies, the inflammation had progressed to a fibroblastic reaction. Additiona lly, the implantation of large doses provoked giant cell granulomas. C ONCLUSIONS. Small doses (0.05-0.07 mt) of injected silicone produce an immunologic and fibroblastic reaction in the skin. The use of this su bstance with the serial puncture technique is not hazardous when prope r technique is used. (C) 1998 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Dermatol Surg 1998;24:867-870.