Bilateral Cutaneous Fistula After the Placement of Zygomatic Implants

Zygomatic implants are used to restore function in patients with highly edentulous atrophic maxillae, in which it is not possible to place conventional implants. The aim of this paper is to present a case of bilateral cutaneous fistula after placement of zygomatic implants and the treatment performed to resolve the condition, as well as to establish a hypothesis regarding the etiology of these lesions. Presented is a 59-year-old woman with an atrophic edentulous maxilla who received four zygomatic implants. At 8 months and 31 months after implant placement on the right and left sides, respectively, the patient developed inflammatory lesions in the lateral aspect of both orbits that evolved toward developing a fistula within weeks. The patient underwent surgery in both cases. Complications of zygomatic implants are relatively common but rarely involve the loss or removal of implants. In this case, the patient retained her implants, and several months after resection of both fistulae, the patient is asymptomatic without recurrence of the lesions. The probable cause of the occurrence of the fistula could be an accumulation of sinus mucosa remnants, periosteum, and bone particles at the malar level as a result of poor irrigation at the time of implant placement.