Why do I have a red circle on the tip of nose at 7 months post op? (Photos)

Question

I had a rhinoplasty 7 months ago. All was going well until I realized the pain had never subsided in the tip of my nose. Then about 1 month ago I woke up with a dime sized red spot on the tip of my nose. I went to surgeon and he said there is no graft and he doesn’t know why there would be an infection this long after but started me on antibitoics. I have improvement in the pain but the redness is still there. Any suggestions on what this could be?

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

It's possible your infection may have nothing to do with your rhinoplasty. Nasal cellulitis - a skin infection of the nose, may occur from an inclusion cyst, or from nasal bacteria. The only other thought might be to ask your surgeon what type of sutures were used in your nasal tip. If he used permanent sutures, rarely they may become infected. I'm glad you're responding. My best. Dr Joseph

Tanveer Janjua, MD · Answer

The infection can be completely unrelated to the rhinoplasty.  There are multiple hair follicles inside the nose that can become infected at times.  If the infection becomes recurrent then you might need exploration of the area but a one time infection should not be an issue.

Mark Been, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. I agree that it is strange to develop that redness so far removed from surgery, especially when no graft was used. That said, I am speculating that perhaps there is a foreign body reaction causing the delayed inflammation or infection. Maybe a suture granuloma or a hair that fell into the surgical field--these could possibly explain this issue at hand. Your surgeon will know best, because he/she is the only one who knows the details of the surgery. I would continue to follow up with your surgeon until the issue is resolved.

Why do I have a red circle on the tip of nose at 7 months post op? (Photos)

Answers (3)