Cellulitis with injury of the abdominal wall following liposuction
Presentation
Liposuction ten days ago, presented with fever, swelling, and pain of the abdominal wall
Patient Data
There is diffuse fat infiltration with lymphedema in subcutaneous layer along abdominal wall with skin thickening in keeping with cellulitis. No subcutaneous emphysema seen.
Focal midline defects of anterior abdominal wall above and below the umbilicus at liposuction sites containing mesenteric fat with small subcutaneous fluid collection in contact with the rectus abdominis muscles.
Case Discussion
CT features are consistent with subcutaneous cellulitis and injury of the abdominal wall (focal defects) following liposuction. The edematous changes identified on CT/MRI in the abdominal wall represent lymphedema.
Liposuction is a surgical procedure using a suction technique to remove fat deposits from specific areas of the body 1. It is most often done for cosmesis (e.g. modifying the body shape) rather than as a therapy for obesity 1.
It is considered to be a minimally invasive and relatively safe technique, but occasionally more serious sequelae may result 1:
- infection: cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis
- injury to the abdominal wall and intra-abdominal organs
- pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis (rare)
- hypovolemic shock and acute renal failure (rare)
Additional contributor: A Ramdani, MD
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