abstract
Acupuncture, a practice rooted in traditional complementary medicine (TCM), involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin. It has been proposed as an adjunct treatment for optic nerve and retinal diseases. However, there have been documented cases of ocular infections, including cellulitis and endophthalmitis, associated with acupuncture. In this report, we present a case of pan-ophthalmitis, an infection affecting the entire eyeball, that occurred following acupuncture treatment. The purpose of this report is to highlight the risks associated with TCM treatments, which are often overlooked or insufficiently communicated to patients. Tragically, the outcome for this patient was blindness, emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making when considering acupuncture as a treatment option.
references
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2. Woo PCY, Lin AWC, Lau SKP, Yuen KY. Acupuncture-induced infection. BMJ. 2023;340(7757):1151. doi:10.1136/BMJ.C1268
3. Panlilio AL, Beck-Sague CM, Siegel JD, et al. Infections and pseudo infections due to povidone-iodine solution contaminated with Pseudomonas cepacia. Clin Infect Dis. 1992;14(5):1078-1083. doi:10.1093/CLINIDS/14.5.1078
4. Law SK, Wang L, Li T. Acupuncture for glaucoma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;2020(2). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006030.PUB4