Eur Spine J. 1996 ; 5(2): 137-9.

Migration of an acupuncture needle into the medulla oblongata.

Abumi K, Anbo H, Kaneda K.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kitaku, Sapporo, Japan.

A case of a delayed lesion of the medulla oblongata caused by migration of an acupuncture needle is presented. The patient was a 60-year-old woman who had undergone embedded-type acupuncture needle treatment around 1975. In 1993 she was admitted to our hospital with a 3-week history of progressive motor and sensory disturbance of her right upper extremity. CT demonstrated that one needle had penetrated the medulla oblongata transversely at the level of the foramen magnum. The needle was removed surgically without any complications. This is the first report of an acupuncture needle migrating in the medulla oblongata.