• Zilong Tan and Jianwu Shen.
• Department of Urology, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Dec 1; 102 (48): e36007e36007.

RationaleUrinary dysfunction triggered by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) attacking the nervous system seriously affects the quality of life of patients and may even cause irreversible damage to the urinary system. This a 62-year-old man with acute urinary retention triggered by VZV, who was cured after acupuncture treatment. The rational application of acupuncture therapy to promote the recovery of bladder contraction function can effectively relieve the symptoms of dysuria, shorten the course of the disease.Patient ConcernsSymptoms included dysuria and distension of the bladder area secondary to postherpetic herpes zoster, with significant pressure and pain in his lower abdomen, accompanied by cutaneous herpes distributed over the sacral region.DiagnosesThe case was diagnosed as acute urinary retention (Neurogenic Bladder). Ancillary tests include urodynamic examination, Doppler ultrasound, urodynamic tests are the preferred diagnostic method and suggest: no contraction of the detrusor muscle is seen during voiding, and voiding occurs in an The absence of abdominal pressure-assisted micturition and repeated attempts to pass urine suggests detrusor weakness; residual urine suggests a severe bladder emptying disorder. Doppler ultrasound suggested overfilling of the bladder, and 1153 mL of residual urine was seen in the bladder after voiding.InterventionsThe patient developed sacral herpes and dysuria and was treated with oral antiviral drugs on the 12th day of illness. But his urinary difficulty did not improve but gradually worsened, resulting in acute urinary retention, and he then turned to the acupuncture treatment, innovative approach combined the mechanism of action of sacral neuromodulation with traditional Chinese medicine theory.OutcomesThe duration of acupuncture treatment totaled 12 weeks; he was able to urinate on her own and her symptoms completely disappeared. No other adverse and unintended events occurred during treatment.LessonsThis study demonstrates that acupuncture is safe and effective in the treatment of acute urinary retention caused by VZV, which is worth recommending as a conservative treatment. Moreover, we found that the early intervention and full-term treatment with acupuncture is particularly important, provided that the right key acupoints are selected.Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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