Abstract
Body piercing has been practiced for centuries in Asian and African countries as a part of religious and cultural ceremonies. Complications like bleeding, pyogenic bacterial infections like staphylococcal and pseudomonas, viral infections like hepatitis B virus, allergic reactions, scarring, granuloma formation, and sarcoid-like foreign body formation have been reported. Thaipusam is a traditional religious festival observed in Asian countries, commonly in India and Malaysia. During the celebration, devotees allow their bodies to be pierced and decorated with needles, hooks, and skewers (Alagu kuthuthal) on cheeks, tongue, chest, and back, followed by “holy ash” (Vibhuthi). We report a case of cutaneous tuberculosis because of the body piercing during this traditional festival. The patient was started on anti-tubercular therapy, and the lesions disappeared within 2 months of ATT.
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Subramaniyan S, Dutta, S., Jain, A. et al. Skin Tuberculosis: the Perils of Skin Piercing Tradition in Southern India. Indian J Surg 85, 1478–1481 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-023-03737-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-023-03737-9