Postrhinoplasty acne formation: a case-control study

Acne formation is a common dermatological problem which, if left untreated, may lead to severe facial scars, a consideration that may be particularly important for patients who seek cosmetic surgery. Postrhinoplasty acne development has not yet been discussed in the literature. We therefore decided to evaluate the occurrence of acne in nasal plastic surgery in a case-control study.

One hundred and twenty patients were selected for this case-control study and were then assigned to case and control groups, each consisting of 60 patients. None of the participants was a known case of acne and those with any specific skin condition were excluded from the study. The cases were patients whose external nasal structures had been affected by the procedure; the control group consisted of matched patients who were candidates for closed septoplasty. After the operation, acne formation was evaluated in all participants and a comparison was made between cases and controls looking at the surgical method employed, and at the patients' personal and family backgrounds.

Twelve patients, all from the case group, developed postsurgical acne; all these patients had undergone open rhinoplasty. Age, gender, family history for acne and recent medication use prior to the surgery showed no significant correlation with acne formation.

The incidence of acne after nasal plastic surgery was significantly higher than in the control group, especially when the method of surgery was open rhinoplasty.