4 more Cushing's cases found

August 29, 2012

Four more cases of Cushing's syndrome and other adverse effects affecting patients who received acupuncture or other treatment provided by registered Chinese medicine practitioner Ma Siu-wing have been identified by the Department of Health.
 
The cases were notified through the 2125 1133 hotline and by patients seeing a doctor. They bring the total number of suspected cases related to this practitioner to 10 so far.
 
The three women and a man, aged 39 to 53, received acupuncture treatment from the practitioner for skin conditions before the onset of Cushingoid features, and were subsequently diagnosed as having iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome by their doctors.
 
There was no apparent source of high dose exogenous steroid received by them during the course of acupuncture treatment by the practitioner.
 
Among them, a 48 year-old woman was one of the three cases reported so far that had received injections on a number of occasions apart from acupuncture from the practitioner.
 
The four cases will be referred to the Chinese Medicine Council.
 
Ma's patients who feel unwell should contact the department via the 2125 1133 hotline or consult their doctors.
 
The hotline has received 101 enquiries since it opened on August 23. Sixty-seven callers claimed they had received acupuncture treatment from the practitioner.