Delayed Histiocytic Foreign Body Reaction and Granuloma Formation Following Argiform Injection for Soft Tissue Augmentation Mimicking a Lipomatous Tumor on Histopathology: A Case Report.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Pathology & Immunology Baylor College of Medicine Houston 77030 Texas USA bcm.edu.
- 2Department of Dermatology Baylor College of Medicine Houston 77030 Texas USA bcm.edu.
- 3Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Harris Health System Ben Taub Hospital Houston 77030 Texas USA.
- 4Department of Surgery Pathology Service HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake Webster 77598 Texas USA.
Abstract
As cosmetic procedures gain popularity, the use of nonapproved soft-tissue fillers by unlicensed or untrained practitioners in nonmedical settings is rising. We report a rare case of a histiocytic reaction to foreign material following Argiform injection. A 31-year-old female presented with a 2 year history of an itchy and painful rash on both buttocks. The rash was initially confined to the right buttock but extended to the left several months later; it remained refractory to topical ointments. A skin punch biopsy revealed extensive adipocytic-like cells within the dermis, some of which mimicked lipoblasts. Immunohistochemistry showed the lesional cells were positive for CD68 and negative for S100 and pancytokeratin. A final diagnosis of a histiocytic reaction to foreign material was made. Following the biopsy results, the patient disclosed a history of cosmetic Argiform injections at a spa 4-5 years prior to presentation. This case demonstrates that delayed tissue reactions to Argiform can mimic lipomatous tumors, creating a significant diagnostic pitfall. Clinicopathologic correlation, including a thorough remote medical history, is critical for achieving an accurate diagnosis.
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BibTeX
@article{abdelhammed2026delayed,
title = {{Delayed Histiocytic Foreign Body Reaction and Granuloma Formation Following Argiform Injection for Soft Tissue Augmentation Mimicking a Lipomatous Tumor on Histopathology: A Case Report.}},
author = {Mokhtar H Abdelhammed and Lois M Dodson and A Hafeez Diwan and Ya Xu},
journal = {Case reports in dermatological medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1155/crdm/7330965},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903457},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Delayed Histiocytic Foreign Body Reaction and Granuloma Formation Following Argiform Injection for Soft Tissue Augmentation Mimicking a Lipomatous Tumor on Histopathology: A Case Report.
AU - Mokhtar H Abdelhammed
AU - Lois M Dodson
AU - A Hafeez Diwan
AU - Ya Xu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Case reports in dermatological medicine
DO - 10.1155/crdm/7330965
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42903457
AB - As cosmetic procedures gain popularity, the use of nonapproved soft-tissue fillers by unlicensed or untrained practitioners in nonmedical settings is rising. We report a rare case of a histiocytic reaction to foreign material following Argiform injection. A 31-year-old female presented with a 2 year history of an itchy and painful rash on both buttocks. The rash was initially confined to the right buttock but extended to the left several months later; it remained refractory to topical ointments. A skin punch biopsy revealed extensive adipocytic-like cells within the dermis, some of which mimicked lipoblasts. Immunohistochemistry showed the lesional cells were positive for CD68 and negative for S100 and pancytokeratin. A final diagnosis of a histiocytic reaction to foreign material was made. Following the biopsy results, the patient disclosed a history of cosmetic Argiform injections at a spa 4-5 years prior to presentation. This case demonstrates that delayed tissue reactions to Argiform can mimic lipomatous tumors, creating a significant diagnostic pitfall. Clinicopathologic correlation, including a thorough remote medical history, is critical for achieving an accurate diagnosis.
SN - 2090-6463
SN - 2090-6471
ER -