A Case of Steven-Johnson Syndrome after Live Bee Acupuncture (Bong-Chim)

ABSTRACT

Bee stings can cause various skin reactions that usually resolve over several days; however, in some patients the venom acts as an allergen, causing a severe immunological response such as anaphylaxis. Bee stings can also induce chronic inflammation because the barbed stinging apparatus and venom sacs, along with the nerve plexus, can lodge in the skin. Chronic non-specific low back pain is the most common medical problem for which patients seek complementary and alternative medical treatment, including bee venom acupuncture. Bee venom acupuncture involves injecting diluted bee venom into acupoints and is used for arthritis, pain, and rheumatoid diseases. Here we report a 75-year-old man with acute urticaria and skin eruption with eosinophilia and interstitial pneumonia 6 weeks later after receiving 5 times bee venom acupuncture.