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Updated: May 8, 2026

Establishing a Silicosis Rat Model via Exposure of Whole-Body to Respirable Silica
Published on: October 28, 2022
Respiratory Disease following Illicit Injection of Silicone: A Case Report
Alex Charles Essenmacher1, Seyed Amin Astani
1Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield Street, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Abstract:
Unregulated, pseudomedical procedures risk serious sequelae even when otherwise safe compounds are used. Silicone is commonly used legally in cosmetic procedures owing to its durability, resistance to heat and aging, and low immunogenicity. However, inappropriate or illegal silicone injection can pose severe local and systemic complications including serious pulmonary compromise. We describe the case of a 30-year-old female who presented with hemoptysis and progressive shortness of breath following illicit silicone injections to the gluteal fat and was found to have new, diffuse, bilateral, ground-glass opacities on contrast-enhanced pulmonary computed tomography. Transbronchial biopsy elucidated that this was a lipoid pneumonia-type injury secondary to silicone infiltration.
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