According to a recently released report, on December 27, 2007, the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) was notified of three cases of renal failure occurring among women who had received cosmetic soft-tissue filler injections at a facility in North Carolina.
The report, published in the May 2, 2008 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, summarizes the clinical findings for these cases and describes the subsequent public health investigation. All injections were administered by a practitioner with no medical training or supervision. Investigators were not able to identify the substances injected. Although records indicated that the injections contained liquid silicone or silicone oil, this substance has not been associated previously with renal failure. These findings underscore the risks posed by cosmetic injections administered by unlicensed practitioners.
The 3 women recovered from the kidney failure, which is believed to be caused by the aesthetic procedure. The women, who had heard of the facility via Internet forums and chat rooms, complained of headache, nausea, and dark colored urine following the procedure. An inspection of the clinic by the NCDPH revealed that the facility had an ineffective infection-control procedure, among other problems.
Read the entire report here.
