Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty: Histopathological Effects of Dermal Fillers on Nasal Cartilage in a Rabbit Model

Gürlek İÖ, Gülüstan F, İnan BK, Göktaş AB, İnan Ö, Sayın İ, Kaya KH.

What this paper says

In 16 rabbits, two hyaluronic acid fillers injected next to nasal cartilage caused loss of cartilage cell nuclei, fibrosis and giant-cell reactions at 90 days, with no change in cartilage thickness.

Overview

Little is known about what filler does to the cartilage it sits on. The Turkish authors injected 0.1 mL of VYC-20L (group A) or VYC-25L (group B) beside the right lateral nasal cartilage of rabbits, with saline on the left as control. After 90 days the cartilage was examined microscopically for thickness, chondrocyte nucleus loss, inflammation, fibrosis, giant cells, granulation, abscess and necrosis.

Sections of note

16 rabbits, two filler products, saline controls on the opposite side.
Significant differences for chondrocyte nucleus loss (p = 0.005), fibrosis (p = 0.018) and giant cells (p < 0.001).
Chondrocyte nucleus loss present in all filler-treated sides, absent in controls.
Giant cells found in every filler sample.
No difference in cartilage thickness (p = 0.918); no abscess or necrosis; inflammation and fibrosis varied but were not significant.

What it means for a patient

Filler is not inert to cartilage: in rabbits it caused microscopic cell damage and a foreign-body reaction within three months.
Whether this matters for a human nose, or for later surgery on a filled nose, is not shown here.
The findings support caution about repeated nasal filler.

Why this paper matters

It is one of the few histological studies of filler on nasal cartilage. Limits: animal model, 90-day endpoint, two products, small numbers.

Terms

Histopathology: microscopic examination of tissue.
Chondrocyte: a cartilage cell; loss of its nucleus indicates cell death.
Giant cell: a fused immune cell that forms around foreign material.
Fibrosis: scar-like thickening of tissue.
VYC-20L / VYC-25L: two hyaluronic acid filler formulations of the Juvederm Vycross range.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“Nonsurgical rhinoplasty has emerged as a preferred nasal aesthetic treatment due to its safety, predictability, and high patient satisfaction. It utilizes dermal fillers, primarily hyaluronic acid (HA), to enhance nasal profiles and correct defects. However, limited data exist on the effects of HA-containing dermal…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.