Therapeutic use of hyaluronic acid fillers in the treatment of corticosteroid-induced skin and subcutaneous atrophy

Corticosteroid injection–related tissue atrophy might cause permanent skin and soft tissue deformities1 due to several factors, most importantly fibroblast inhibition and decreased Type I collagen synthesis. Correction of these deformities is challenging and is mostly based on volume replacement with lipofilling or other methods. Clinical observations and research have shown that injection of stabilized hyaluronic acid (HA) induces collagen synthesis, partially restoring dermal matrix components, and eventually producing a permanent effect.2–5 Based on these data, we hypothesize that HA injections might successfully treat atrophic tissue changes caused by corticosteroid injection. We describe a case of persistent buttock corticosteroid injection–related skin and soft tissue atrophy treated successfully with repeated HA injections.