◎鄭寺音

Deadly brain abscesses should be added to the list of risks of having a tongue piercing, say doctors. Archives of Neurology reports how a 22-year-old man who died in hospital following multiple brain abscesses weeks after getting his tongue pierced.

醫師表示，致命的腦部膿瘡應該增列到穿舌環的風險清單中。神經學誌報導，一名22歲男子穿了舌環數星期後，在醫院因為多發性腦膿瘍喪生。

The man’s Israeli doctors warn infection can spread in the bloodstream from the piercing up to the brain. Piercing can more commonly lead to chipped teeth and oral infections, and sometimes heart problems, say experts.

這名男子的以色列醫師警告，穿舌環造成的感染，可能在血液中擴散到腦部，專家表示，穿舌環更常導致牙齒碎裂、口腔感染，有時候會造成心臟問題。

Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser to the British Dental Association, said："Dentists are all too aware of the health problems that can be caused by oral piercings."

英國牙醫協會的科學顧問瓦姆思里教授表示：「牙醫都很了解口部穿洞會造成的健康問題。」

"There are many potential complications, ranging from pain and swelling to chipped or cracked teeth. Patients who have oral piercings can also suffer with recession of the gums and prolonged bleeding. Piercing of oral sites also carries with it a risk of infection. The clear message is that oral piercing is ill advised and should be avoided."

「有許多潛在的併發症，從疼痛與腫脹，到牙齒剝落或碎裂，口部穿洞的病患也可能有牙齦萎縮、流血不止等問題。口部穿洞也可能有感染風險，清楚的訊息是，口部穿洞幾乎不建議，也應該避免。」

新聞辭典

abscess：名詞，膿瘡，潰瘍。例句：She had an abscess on her gum.（她的牙齦有膿瘡。）

swell：動詞，腫脹。例句：It was obvious she had broken her toe, because it immediately started to swell （up）.（她的腳趾顯然是斷了，因為馬上腫了起來。）

chip：動詞，碎裂，剝落。例句：I wish my nail polish wouldn’t keep chipping.（希望我的指甲油不會一直脫落。）

自由時報-981022

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