Tongue stud 'brain fatality risk'

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.



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.