Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Silicone has been commonly used for both major and minor plastic and reconstructive surgery for decades. Due to the high costs associated with minor cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery, the unauthorized use of silicone injections by laypersons has become increasingly common. Improper or illegal subcutaneous injectable silicone has caused significant pulmonary complications and neurological complications, which can range from mild chest pain, hypoxia, and respiratory failure to coma and altered mental status.

Case Report: We present a patient who had a rare complication of respiratory failure secondary to silicone embolism syndrome (SES). SES is a rare, potentially deadly complication and has been associated with subcutaneous silicone injections. The diagnosis of SES can be challenging and requires a thorough patient history indicating recent cosmetic procedures.

Conclusion: This case describes the first case of SES of a male patient who presented to a community emergency department complaining of dyspnea after an episode of self-administered injectable silicone into his penis and scrotum and who developed SES-induced respiratory failure.