A Case of Ocular Perforation by an Acupuncture Needle Directly Through the Bulbar Conjunctiva

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report a case of ocular perforation by an acupuncture needle directly through the bulbar conjunctiva. CASE SUMMARY: A 62-year-old male visited our clinic with acute ocular pain and decreased vision in his left eye. He had received intraocular acupuncture therapy one day earlier. A slit-lamp examination revealed conjunctival hyperemia and vitreous prolapse at the superonasal quadrant of the bulbar conjunctiva. Grade one of anterior chamber cells was found in the left eye. Dilated fundoscopy revealed three retinal hemorrhages at the superonasal quadrant of the retina; vitreous hemorrhage and opacity were also observed. Thus, vitrectomy and injections of intravitreal antibiotics were performed. Intraoperatively, we identified the entry site, located in the superonasal retinal quadrant, immediately behind the ora serratia. At the three-month postoperative follow-up, the patient's visual acuity was 0.9 in the left eye and the retina remained flat with no postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a case of ocular perforation and endophthalmitis following ocular acupuncture treatment. This case illustrates the dangers of intraocular acupuncture therapy.