A rare case of migrating dermal filler mimicking lymphadenopathy.
Michael Christian Virata, Raymond Chai, Maureen Zakowski et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 30-year-old man presented with bilateral submandibular nodules. MRI showed bilateral masses, while sonography suggested cysts or lymph nodes. Sonography-guided fine-needle aspiration revealed abundant acellular material with a foreign-body reaction, supporting a diagnosis of migrated dermal filler. The case illustrates how filler-related lesions in the head and neck can resemble lymphadenopathy or other masses on imaging and require cytologic assessment for clarification.
What made this case unusual
The dermal filler had migrated from its original injection site, presenting as bilateral submandibular masses that imaging suggested could be cysts or lymph nodes.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
When evaluating an unexplained head or neck mass, consider migrated dermal filler and ask about prior injections; patients may not volunteer this history, and imaging alone may not identify the lesion.