Aim: To systematically review the literature on vascular injuries caused by acupuncture.
Method: Systematic literature search in Medline and PubMed.
Results: Twentyone cases were identified and the majority developed symptoms in direct connection with the acupuncture treatment. Three patients died, two from pericardial tamponade and one from an aortoduodenal fistula. There were five more tamponades, seven pseudoaneurysms, two with ischaemia, two with venous thrombosis, one with compartment syndrome and one with bleeding. The two patients with ischaemia had remaining sequeleae. Information on follow-up was suboptimal with no information in nine patients.
Conclusion: Vascular injuries are rare, bleeding and pseudoaneurysm dominating. Follow-up is insufficient in the hitherto published papers.