Recurrent delayed hypersensitivity reaction to a hyaluronic acid soft-tissue filler following COVID-19 vaccination: a case report

Abstract

Hyaluronic acid soft-tissue fillers are the second most widely used injectable agents in cosmetic surgery. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a few cases of delayed hypersensitivity reactions to hyaluronic acid filler injections have been reported following COVID-19 infection or vaccination against the virus. A 61-year-old woman visited the emergency room with swelling and redness on the entire face that started on the nasolabial area. She had received hyaluronic acid filler injections in her nasolabial area 8 months previously and had completed the primary series of vaccinations and received a booster dose of the mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 1 month before the swelling episode. A corticosteroid was added to the antibiotic regimen because of the nonsignificant effect of the antibiotics. The symptoms then resolved, and corticosteroid use was tapered over the course of 2 weeks. Four months later, swelling and redness recurred on both nasolabial folds and chin, but the symptoms were more localized than before. The renewed symptoms regressed with surgical drainage and corticosteroid and antibiotic treatment. This study discusses this extremely rare case of a recurrent delayed hypersensitivity reaction to a hyaluronic acid soft-tissue filler following COVID-19 vaccination.