Observations on the Therapeutic Effect of Acupoint Catgut Embedding on Breast Cystic Hyperplasia of Blood Stasis-phlegm Pattern / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupoint catgut embedding in treating breast cystic hyperplasia of blood stasis-phlegm pattern.Methods One hundred and three patients with breast cystic hyperplasia of blood stasis-phlegm pattern were randomly allocated to a treatment group of 53 cases and a control group of 50 cases. The treatment group received acupoint catgut embedding and the control group took Rupi Sanjie granules. The symptom/sign scores and the qi stagnation transformation score were recorded and sex hormone levels were measured in the two groups before and after 12 weeks of treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.Results The cure rate and the total efficacy rate were 50.9% and 92.5%, respectively, in the treatment group and 46.0% and 90.0%, respectively, in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in the cure rate and the total efficacy rate between the two groups (P>0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the symptom/sign scores (pain, mass hardness, mass range, mass size and accompanying symptoms scores) between the two groups (P<0.05). At the three-month and six-month follow-ups, there were statistically significant differences in the pain, mass range and accompanying symptoms scores as compared with at the end of treatment in the treatment group, and between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in the qi stagnation transformation score in the two groups (P<0.01,P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the qi stagnation transformation score at the three-month and six-month follow-ups compared with at the end of treatment in the treatment group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the qi stagnation transformation score between the treatment and control groups at the end of treatment and at the three-month and six-month follow-ups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in the E2 content in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the P and PRL contents in the treatment groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupoint catgut embedding is an effective way to treat breast cystic hyperplasia of blood stasis-phlegm pattern.