Recent advantages in the anatomical understanding of the face have turned the focus toward the subcutaneous and deep facial fat compartments. During facial aging, these fat-filled compartments undergo substantial changes along with other structures in the face. Soft tissue filler and fat grafting are valid methods to fight the signs of facial aging, but little is known about their precise effect on the facial fat. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge about the facial fat compartments in terms of anatomical location, histologic appearance, immune-histochemical characteristics, cellular interactions, and therapeutic options. Three different types of facial adipose tissue can be identified, which are located either superficially (dermal white adipose tissue) or deep (subcutaneous white adipose tissue): fibrous (perioral locations), structural (major parts of the midface), and deposit (buccal fat pad and deep temporal fat pad). These various fat types differ in the size of the adipocytes and the collagenous composition of their extracellular matrix and thus in their mechanical properties. Minimal invasive (e.g., soft tissue fillers or fat grafting) and surgical interventions aiming to restore the youthful face have to account for the different fat properties in various facial areas. However, little is known about the macro- and microscopic characteristics of the facial fat tissue in different compartments and future studies are needed to reveal new insights to better understand the process of aging and how to fight its signs best.

Hibernomas are rare benign tumors that may present in the head and neck in an unusual manner similar to more common malignant tumors such as lymphoma. Our case report describes several characteristics of a patient and benign tumor presentation that is atypical for the usual presentation of hibernomas as reviewed in the literature. Although hibernomas are rare, our report and review of the literature highlights a particular patient population and important key findings that should make one consider these benign tumors in the differential diagnosis of a young patient presenting with a neck mass.

The objective of this report was to identify potential factors associated with recurrent sialolithiasis after surgical intervention. This is a report of a woman with recurrent submandibular sialolithiasis after surgical intervention. Several characteristics of this patient indicate that she may have been predisposed to recurrent stone formation. Patient and disease factors leading to recurrent salivary stone formation are not well known. Notwithstanding, there may be stone factors and intraoperative findings that aid in determining whether a patient is likely to be successfully treated with a gland-sparing approach. Laryngoscope, 127:1365-1368, 2017.