Background: Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine being increasingly used as complementary therapy in many countries. It is relatively safe and rarely associated with deep infections. Case presentation: In this case report, we describe a middle-aged Chinese patient who presented acutely to our emergency department with cauda equina syndrome secondary to acupuncture-related epidural abscesses, which were treated with surgical decompression and intravenous antibiotics. We also present a review of case reports of this rare condition in available literature. Conclusion: Emergency physicians should be aware that spinal abscesses may occur after acupuncture, with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations. If a history of recent acupuncture over the symptomatic area is elicited, a high index of suspicion should be maintained and appropriate imaging performed to establish the diagnosis. Treatment is directed by a number of factors, such as severity and duration of neurological deficit and progression of symptoms.
CITATION STYLE
Chan, J. J., & Oh, J. J. (2016, December 1). A rare case of multiple spinal epidural abscesses and cauda equina syndrome presenting to the emergency department following acupuncture. International Journal of Emergency Medicine. Springer London. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-016-0116-5
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