J Emerg Med. 1997 Mar-Apr; 15(2): 155-7.

Case reports of two patients with pneumothorax following acupuncture.

Vilke GM, Wulfert EA.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Diego Medical Center 92103-8676, USA.

We report two patients who presented to the emergency department with pneumothorax related to acupuncture. The first patient developed pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath while undergoing acupuncture therapy, and the second patient developed similar symptoms 10 min after acupuncture therapy. Neither patient had a previous history of pneumothorax, and both were undergoing acupuncture along the spine, paraspinal region, and shoulders. A review of the literature follows.