Vascular injuries caused by acupuncture.
OBJECTIVE
To systematically review the literature on vascular injuries caused by acupuncture.


METHODS
Systematic literature search in Medline and PubMed.


RESULTS
Twentyone cases were identified and the majority developed symptoms in direct connection with the acupuncture treatment. Three patients died, two from pericardial tamponade and one from an aortoduodenal fistula. There were five more tamponades, seven pseudoaneurysms, two with ischaemia, two with venous thrombosis, one with compartment syndrome and one with bleeding. The two patients with ischaemia had remaining sequeleae. Information on follow-up was suboptimal with no information in nine patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Vascular injuries are rare, bleeding and pseudoaneurysm dominating. Follow-up is insufficient in the hitherto published papers.
Bergqvist
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Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, SE 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: david.bergqvist@surgsci.uu.se.
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000209:etiology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000293:injuries*; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology; D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000209:etiology; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016157:Vascular Fistula; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology