J Korean Soc Spine Surg.  2009 Dec;16(4):290-293. 10.4184/jkss.2009.16.4.290.

Cervical Prevertebral Hematoma - a Rare Complication of Acupuncture Therapy: A Case Report

• Ha DH
• Oh SK

• KMID: 1819811
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4184/jkss.2009.16.4.290

Abstract

A 36-year old man with neck pain developed an acute cervical prevertebral hematoma after acupuncture therapy at an oriental medicine hospital. MR imaging demonstrated a fluid collection, and this suggested a diagnosis of retropharyngeal hematoma, and the patient was managed conservatively. We report here on a case of a retropharyngeal hematoma following acupuncture therapy and we review the relevant literature.

Keyword

Cervical spine; Retropharynx; Hematoma

MeSH Terms

Acupuncture
Acupuncture Therapy
Hematoma
Humans
Medicine, East Asian Traditional
Neck Pain

Figure

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  Fig. 1. MRI images indicate an intradural extramedullary mass at L3. (A) T1-weighted MRI image shows hyperintensity relative to the surrounding spinal fluid. (B) T2-weighted MRI image shows low signal intensity. (C) Homogeneous enhancement of the mass was demonstrated in gadolinium enhance image.

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  Fig. 2. H-E stained sections of the spinal metastasis show a tumor identical in appearnces to renal cell carcinoma (origingal magnification, ×400).

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