Rare tattoo immune reaction linked to neck necrosis in young man
A 20-year-old man in China developed a large necrotic neck ulcer and bilateral neck masses after getting a red cross tattoo on his neck. Three months later the ink vanished; imaging showed extensive lesions that required surgical removal and neck reconstruction. Biopsy revealed necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis, a rare immune response, with three proposed causes (inflammation-driven clotting, venous compression, or vein-wall erosion). The pigment was not detected in tissue. This is only the second known case of tattoo-associated necrosis, underscoring tattoo-related health risks; the patient recovered after surgery and brief hormone therapy.
