Fatal Central Nerve System Infection After Acupuncture Through the Extra-Axial Space of the Cervicomedullary Junction

Case Report

Volume 3, Issue 2 (February Issue)

Fatal Central Nerve System Infection After Acupuncture Through the Extra-Axial Space of the Cervicomedullary Junction

Soo-Hyun Park^1* and Woo Chang Chun²

¹Department of Neurology, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Hospital Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea
²Department of Neurology, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea

^*Corresponding author: Soo-Hyun Park, Department of Neurology, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Hospital Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea, Tel: +821047282050; E-Mail: g2skhome@gmail.com

Received: November 30, 2020; Accepted: December 17, 2020; Published: February 03, 2021

Acknowledgment: The authors would like to thank the patient and her family. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea, funded by a Medical Research Center Grant (NRF-2014R1A5A2009392).

Citation: Soo-Hyun Park, Woo Chang Chun, et al. Fatal Central Nerve System Infection After Acupuncture Through the Extra-Axial Space of the Cervicomedullary Junction. Clin Image Case Rep J. 2021; 3(2): 136.

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Fatal Central Nerve System Infection After Acupuncture Through the Extra-Axial Space of the Cervicomedullary Junction

Abstract

A previously healthy 55-year-old woman complained of headache, vomiting, and become drowsy after acupuncture (C1 to C5) due to left neck pain. Examination showed sluggish light reflex, pupil dilatation, and neck stiffness. Brain CT and MRI confirm ed procedure-related multiple air-bubbles at the cervicomedullary junction. Spinal MRI revealed leptomeningeal enhancement with abscess formation. The CSF biochemical profiling was identified to be Slackia exigua; gram-positive and anaerobic bacillus. It suggests that direct inoculation of Slackia exigua had occurred during acupuncture. She became comatose. Performing acupuncture without adequate and aseptic controls may cause grave CNS infection.

Keywords: Slackia exigua; Acupuncture; Leptomeningeal enhancement; Cervicomedullary junction; Meningoencephalitis; Ventriculitis