Acupressure Bead in the Eustachian Tube.
In this article, we aim to enlighten practitioners and patients involved with acupressure beads and to contribute to their safer use by reporting a unique case of insidious intrusion of an acupressure bead into the eustachian tube. A metallic object was found in the eustachian tube of a patient while conducting a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. The object was later confirmed to be an auricular acupressure bead, and was successfully removed by performing a tympanoplasty and a canal wall down mastoidectomy. The bead was assumed to have passed through an existing perforation of the tympanic membrane. According to previously published literature, tympanic membrane perforations exist in ∼1% of the population. Therefore, middle-ear foreign bodies are relatively common occurrences for otolaryngologists. However, metallic objects such as acupressure beads are especially important in the sense that they can cause severe burns during MRI. To avoid potential complications, acupressure-bead practitioners should be aware of the possibility that intrusions through the tympanic membrane could go unnoticed.
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Kazunori
K
Igarashi
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: yumatsumoto@mac.com.
Yu
Y
Matsumoto
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Akinobu
A
Kakigi
D019050:Acupressure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004869:Equipment Safety; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014433:Tympanoplasty
acupressure bead; eustachian tube; foreign body; magnetic resonance imaging