A 64-year-old Korean woman had a 4-week history of dull pain in the lower abdomen. The previous year, the patient had regularly undergone abdominal acupuncture with the use of gold-tipped needles to treat dyspeptic epigastric pain. The last treatment was 2 weeks before presentation. In the 2 days before presentation, the pain had worsened and localised in the supra-pubic region. On examination the patient’s temperature was 37.6 °C and her abdomen was tender in the supra-pubic region. The white-cell count was 15 800 per cubic millimetre. A plain abdominal film revealed more than 100 needles. A computed tomographic scan showed a round mass, 2 cm by 2 cm in diameter, containing thick fluid and gas anterior to the bladder. An 8.5-French Cope drainage catheter was inserted, and 15 ml of foul-smelling pus was obtained. Microbiologic culture of the abscess fluid grew two bowel commensal organisms, Bacteriodes fragilis and Escherichia coli. The patient was treated with intravenous cefotaxime and metronidazole during the next 3 days. At follow-up 3 weeks after discharge, the patient was well.