Injectable hyaluronic acid for the correction of HIV-associated facial lipoatrophy

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the use of Perlane, an injectable form of hyaluronic acid, for the correction of HIV-associated facial lipoatrophy. Study Design And Setting A prospective, observational study in a consecutive series of 18 HIV-positive males with facial lipoatrophy injected with Perlane. Fourteen patients were available for final analysis. Results Mean follow-up time was 12 months. Based on photographic analysis, there was a significant early improvement ( P = 0.0035). This difference remained significant after 12 months ( P = 0.04666); no significant difference in grade was shown between 1 and 12 months ( P = 0.3693). Office assessments of improvement showed an early marked improvement in 85.8% of patients, and 78.6% of subjects demonstrated at least moderate improvement at 12 months. Conclusion/Significance Patient satisfaction was high, with only minor side effects and no late complications. Our findings support Perlane to be a feasible option for the provisional correction of mild to moderate facial lipoatrophy.