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Figure 1. Posteroanterior and lateral chest radiographs of a 42-year-old Japanese man reveal fine metallic opacities in the soft tissues of the back. The opacities represent indwelling gold acupuncture needles aligned along vertical "meridians" of the torso. Four years earlier, the needles had been inserted in the skin by an acupuncturist and then broken off intentionally. The back was normal on physical examination. The patient believes that the needle fragments absorb energy from his surroundings, balance his yin and yang forces, and thereby improve his health. The fragments remain in the subcutaneous tissues permanently.
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