Adverse events associated with acupuncture: a clinicopathologic review

Acupuncture is one of the most popular modalities used to treat various diseases in traditional Korean and Oriental medicine. However, its risk of adverse events can be easily overlooked.

We investigated dermatological adverse events associated with acupuncture to draw attention to the risk of such adverse events.

We evaluated the types of acupuncture, clinicopathologic diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses in patients with a causal relationship between acupuncture and dermatoses.

The study population comprised 25 patients (mean age, 52 years) with a history of acupuncture. Bee venom acupuncture was performed the most frequently (13 of 25 patients), and most patients received acupuncture to control pain (19 of 25 patients). The most common adverse event was infectious skin disease such as atypical mycobacterial infection or pyoderma/abscess, followed by hypersensitivity reactions, localized lipoatrophy, and hypertrophic scar. Acupuncture-related dermatoses required a relatively long treatment period (average, 8.6 weeks).

Various dermatoses may occur following acupuncture. To minimize the risk of these dermatoses, proper training and medical knowledge in acupuncture practice are necessary for medical personnel. Dermatologists, oriental medical practitioners, and patients should pay attention to the potential adverse events of acupuncture.