Unilateral atrophy of the cheek: Autologous fat injection as treatment of choice

Abstract

Lipodystrophies are a set of heterogeneous conditions resulting from defective lipid metabolism and characterized by adipose tissue atrophy. We report on a 54-year-old woman who presented at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery with an increasing unilateral atrophy of her left cheek for the past 3 years. The patient's history showed that she had sustained a left zygoma fracture 35 years ago but did not have any other disease. According to the patient's wish, a correction of the left cheek was performed by autologous fat injection, which led to a highly acceptable postoperative result. We compare this treatment with different alternatives.