Soft Tissue Masses in Patients Who Underwent Cosmetic Fat Transfer Procedures for Gluteal Augmentation: A Report of 3 Cases

Distant migration of gluteal augmentation fat presenting as a soft tissue knee mass

Gluteal augmentation with autologous fat grafting is an increasingly popular procedure. While complication rates are low, the clinical and imaging evaluation of the various complications can be challenging. We report a case of distal migration of a failed gluteal fat graft in a young female patient presenting as a soft tissue mass in the knee, mimicking a soft tissue sarcoma. Surgical resection of the migrated fat graft confirmed the diagnosis. The diagnosis was challenging as the patient was initially reluctant to disclose her surgical history due to perceived negative social stigmas related to cosmetic contouring procedures. This case highlights the imaging findings of a rare complication following autologous fat grafting for gluteal augmentation and the importance of obtaining a thorough medical history.

Radiographic Appearance of Cosmetic Gluteal Injections in a Patient With Proximal Hamstring Tear: A Case Report

CASE

A 45-year-old woman presented 6 months after a right proximal hamstring repair with worsening pain over her surgical site. Anterior-posterior pelvis x-rays revealed bilateral soft-tissue densities around the hips. Extensive workup revealed no medical basis for the radiographic appearance. It was discovered that the patient's cosmetic gluteal injections were, in fact, the cause. Follow-up x-rays revealed near-complete resolution of the densities 8 months later.

CONCLUSIONS

We present this case to highlight the need to consider cosmetic injections as a potential cause of abnormal radiographic soft-tissue densities in the absence of other clear medical explanations in patients who present with musculoskeletal complaints.

Gluteal Augmentation with Fat Grafting: Literature Review

BACKGROUND

The buttock is the second sex feature of the human body, and the graceful buttock curve gives people confidence. Although the safety of gluteal augmentation with autologous fat grafting is still controversial, the proportion of operations is increasing year by year.

PURPOSE

To provid a comprehensive and detailed review of the literature on gluteal augmentation with fat grafting.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of the published literature through September of 2020 was performed in PubMed database, with the search terms "gluteal augmentation," "buttock augmentation," "Brazilian buttock lift," "fat grafting," "fat transfer," "gluteal AND aesthetic," "gluteal AND anatomy."

RESULTS

A total of 64 articles were included. On the basis of the information obtained, surgical recommendations are proposed to achieve buttocks as close as possible to aesthetic standard and improve surgical safety.

CONCLUSION

With a good grasp of the anatomical structure of the buttocks, complications can be reduced. At the same time, based on the theoretical basis of buttock aesthetics, better postoperative results can be obtained.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .