Idiopathic facial lipoatrophy in a healthy middle-aged woman: a case report

Abstract

BackgroundFacial lipoatrophy is a rare condition described by the disappearance of facial subcutaneous fat. The etiology of lipoatrophy can be congenital, or acquired including traumatic, iatrogenic or idiopathic. Idiopathic facial lipoatrophy has only been previously identified in three case reports, among which, the patient demographics vary considerably. Two of these case reports have identified a role for autologous fat transfer as a means of treatment. This case differs from those in the literature in patient demographics and severity of the facial lipoatrophy. The aim of the current report is to present a rare case of idiopathic facial lipoatrophy, and to assess the use of autologous fat transfer as a treatment modality.Case presentationWe present a case of a 40-year old woman from Nova Scotia, Canada who presented with asymptomatic idiopathic facial lipoatrophy. The patient was otherwise healthy, taking no medications with no trauma or surgery in the region affected. Investigations, including a full autoimmune workup, were unremarkable. The facial lipoatrophy was considerably disfiguring and was assessed as a Grade 4 on the facial lipoatrophy scale. The patient was treated over the course of 2 years with two autologous fat transfers.ConclusionsAchieving resolution of idiopathic lipoatrophy is important to patients because it can manifest in a disfiguring form and have negative effects on quality of life. The current study reports a treatment of idiopathic lipoatrophy that achieved results acceptable to the patient.

Facial segmental lipoatrophy effectively treated with a deep priming filler incorporating calcium hydroxyapatite with results sustained for 12 months

“…1,3 Five reported cases of idiopathic facial lipoatrophy exist, with four of them treated using autologous fat transfer. 2,[4][5][6] No prior publications exclusively describe hyaluronic acid (HA) and calcium hydroxyapatite filler treatment. This study presents its successful management in a 40-year-old woman using filler injections.…”

“…As far as we know, only five cases of idiopathic facial lipoatrophy have been reported. [1][2][3][4][5][6] A 5-degree scale, which includes tissue flattening and presence of muscular and bony protrusions, assesses the severity of lipoatrophy. 3 Affected patients struggle with depression, social stigma, and low self-esteem.…”

“…Potential interventions include surgical and dermatological procedures like autologous fat transfer and soft tissue filler injections. 1,[4][5][6] Calcium hydroxylapatite is the second most commonly used filler, promoting neocollagenesis for volume restoration, tissue lifting, and skin tightening. In this report, we describe a successful correction of facial segmental lipoatrophy using a filler composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) and calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA), with excellent results maintained for 12 months.…”

“…Managing this condition is challenging due to limited data on treatment efficacy and safety. Potential interventions include surgical and dermatological procedures like autologous fat transfer and soft tissue filler injections 1,4–6 …”

“…Conversely, idiopathic facial lipoatrophy is rare, typically occurring in healthy individuals. As far as we know, only five cases of idiopathic facial lipoatrophy have been reported 1–6 …”