Abstract
Acupuncture-related injuries to the central nervous system are a rare but well-documented occurrence. This report describes the case of a self-introduced acupuncture needle migrating into the brainstem following an initial failed attempt at surgical extraction. The patient displayed no neurological deficits, and the needle was eventually successfully removed under direct vision intraoperatively. We discuss the role of various imaging modalities in pre- and post-operative assessment of penetrating foreign bodies in the brainstem. We also discuss the options available for the management of such foreign bodies, including possible approaches for operative intervention, and the risks involved with both surgical and conservative management.
Copyright
Association for Helping Neurosurgical Sick People. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Derivative-Non Commercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit.
Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License, which permits unrestricted reproduction and distribution, for non-commercial purposes only; and use and reproduction, but not distribution, of adapted material for non-commercial purposes only, provided the original work is properly cited.
