Rare Spinal Abscess Traced to Acupuncture Treated at Rambam Hospital
A 50-year-old woman at Rambam hospital developed severe spinal abscesses and partial paralysis following an acupuncture treatment, requiring two emergency surgeries.
A rare and dangerous medical case was recently treated at Rambam Health Care Campus, where a 50-year-old active and generally healthy woman experienced a severe spinal infection following acupuncture. The patient, referred to as S., initially arrived at the emergency department complaining of mild weakness in her hand. Initial diagnostic procedures, including a CT scan, did not reveal any findings explaining the symptoms, but physicians decided to admit her for further observation.
Rapid Deterioration and Emergency Surgery
Within twenty-four hours of admission, her condition rapidly deteriorated as she lost the ability to move her upper and lower extremities. An urgent MRI scan revealed a large abscess in the neck region applying dangerous pressure on the spinal cord. She underwent emergency surgery that same night to drain the abscess and relieve the pressure. Despite the procedure, her neurological condition continued to worsen, prompting a second MRI that revealed another abscess. A second emergency surgery was successfully performed, after which she finally began showing gradual signs of improvement.
In the various tests, we could not locate a clear source of infection, says Dr. Shahar Wider, a senior physician in the spinal surgery unit at Rambam who treated the patient. The suspicion arose that the infection was caused by bacteria entering the body during the acupuncture treatment she underwent about a week prior to hospitalization.
Medical Literature and Warning Signs
According to medical literature, only about twenty similar cases of severe spinal infections linked to acupuncture needles have been documented worldwide. Symptoms typically appear within two weeks of the procedure, and over half of the patients require surgical intervention. S. suffered from partial quadriplegia within thirty-six hours of her hospital arrival, highlighting the extreme speed at which such spinal infections can progress.
While S. has regained the ability to walk following extensive treatment, she still deals with significant neurological consequences, including loss of sphincter control. Doctors emphasize that while this is an exceptionally rare complication, it underscores the critical importance of strict hygiene during invasive procedures and prompt medical evaluation for persistent symptoms such as severe back pain, high fever, or progressive muscle weakness.
