Inflammation in a silicone-induced granuloma caused by a tuberculosis skin test
Annals of Plastic Surgery
E B Lavey, R M Pearl
Abstract
We present a case report of a tuberculosis skin test causing a cellular immune type of response at both the injection site and at a distant site previously injected with liquid silicone. It is possible that the P.P.D. test is unrelated to the distant inflammation; initiated an antibody-mediated response; caused a specific cellular immune response; or caused a nonspecific cellular immune response. The most likely explanation is that it was a nonspecific cellular immune response. This report calls attention to the possibility to distant stimuli initiating episodes of inflammation at a site of liquid silicone injection. It may be that other agents that stimulate the cellular immune system are also responsible for causing inflammation at sites of silicone injection, and should therefore be avoided.