Occult chin abscess associated with an autologous chin implant

The case of an occult abscess associated with an autologous nasal hump cartilage chin graft is presented. The graft was placed 30 years prior to secondary aesthetic surgery performed on December 22, 1992. In the course of the removal of the autologous tissue, an abscess pocket was discovered which subsequently cultured positive for Staphylococcus epidermidis. The area was thoroughly debrided and irrigated, and a preoperatively custom-fabricated silicone elastomer implant was placed. A 2-week course of appropriate antibiotic therapy was administered following receipt of the culture and sensitivity data. The patient suffered no postoperative complications. The bacteriology of implant colonization and infection in the light of host defenses would predict such a course, although, if known preoperatively, the more prudent course of abstinence from alloplastic implantation would likely be dictated in the aesthetic surgery patient.