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Tattoo-associated toxic shock syndrome: a case report
Takuya Kubo1, Tetsuya Yumoto2, Hideharu Hagiya3
1Department of Emergency, Critical Care, and Disaster Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku Okayama, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan.
Background:
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening complication occasionally reported after tattooing.
Case Presentation:
A 29-year-old Japanese man was admitted to Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan, in early spring 2025, one week after receiving a tattoo on his right shoulder and upper arm in Osaka. He presented with fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, hypotension, and multi-organ failure. Despite a failure to isolate a causative pathogen, he met clinical criteria for TSS. Supportive care and broad-spectrum antibiotics led to full recovery.
Conclusions:
TSS can occur after tattooing, even in individuals without apparent immunodeficiency. Pathogenic organisms may be unidentifiable; however, clinical diagnosis should not be delayed, and early therapeutic interventions are essential to improve outcomes.
