A Case of Chronic Eczema Successfully Treated with Keigairengyoto by Focusing on Meridians : A Case Report / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

The meridian system is a popular concept in traditional Chinese medicine. Meridians are channels through which the life energy (qi) flows and are important in herbal medicine as pathways associated with drug entry and distribution. This report describes a patient with chronic eczema successfully treated with Japanese (Kampo) herbal medicine, keigairengyoto (containing the Angelica dahurica root). A woman in her 40 s presented with a 3-year history of eczema on both hands to upper arms that was refractory to treatment. Her eczema was observed to be distributed along the lung meridians of hand-taiyin (the channel for the A. dahurica root), and keigairengyoto therapy was initiated after which her eczema significantly resolved. Knowledge of meridians and the concept of channels of entry of herbal medicines may be useful in diagnostic and therapeutic management of several diseases.