Treatment of bilateral granulomatous lobular mastitis during lactation with traditional Chinese medicine: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is a type of benign chronic inflammatory disease that poses therapeutic challenges to healthcare providers. The diagnosis of GLM relies on tissue biopsy, and incorrect treatment may lead to delayed diagnosis, considerable aesthetic damage, and even mastectomy. CASE SUMMARY: We report the case of a 37-year-old Chinese woman who was lactating and had GLM in both breasts. At the time of treatment, the right breast had a mass of approximately 15 cm × 11 cm, which was hard and had poor mobility. Multiple skin ulcerations and pus spills were also observed on the surface of the breast. The left breast had a mass of about 13 cm × 9 cm, which was hard and had poor mobility. CONCLUSION: Herein, we report a case of bilateral GLM in a lactating woman that was successfully treated with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), without the requirement for surgery or other treatments. Therefore, TCM may have advantages in the nonsurgical treatment of GLM.

[Scraping technique of stuck needle at Anmian point in the treatment of insomnia: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy difference in the treatment of insomnia between scraping technique of stuck needle and conventional acupuncture at Anmian (Extra). METHODS: One hundred and thirty one cases were randomized into an Anmian group (68 cases) and a conventional acupuncture group (63 cases). In the Anmian group, Anmian (Extra) was selected. After arrival of qi, the stuck needling was adopted by rotating the needle gently in single direction, 2-3 rounds till the needle body was stuck tightly. Afterwards, the needle tail was touched gently with the index finger to fix the needle body and the needle handle was scraped gently with the thumbnail from bottom to up. The needle was retained for 30 min. In the conventional acupuncture group, Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shenmen (HT 7) and Baihui (GV 20) were selected and stimulated with reducing technique by rotating the needles. The needles were retained for 30 min. The treatment was given once every day, continuously for 2 weeks in both groups. The score of each factor and the total score in Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were assessed before and after treatment in the two groups. Additionally, the efficacies of two groups were evaluated. RESULTS: For the patients in the conventional acupuncture group, the sleep quality and time of falling into spleen after treatment were improved as compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.01). The improvement of sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, hypnotic drug and daytime dysfunction, and PSQI total score did not present statistically significant difference as compared with those before treatment (all P > 0.05). After treatment, for the patients in the Anmian group, the factor score and total score in PSQI were apparently improved as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). And the improvements of the above items were superior to the conventional acupuncture group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 91.2% (62/68) in the Anmian group and was 74.6% (47/63) in the conventional acupuncture group. The clinical efficacy in the Anmian group was apparently superior to the conventional acupuncture group. CONCLUSION: The scraping technique of stuck needle at Anmian (Extra) achieves the superior effect on insomnia as compared with the conventional acupuncture.

External Chinese medical therapy for pain associated with hyperplastic disease of the breast: study protocol of a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hyperplastic disease of the breast (HDB) is caused by a hormone imbalance experienced among women at a certain age. Slight breast pain is common in women before menstruation without need of treatment; however, if the pain becomes severe, it can cause physical and mental suffering. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to control this disease. METHODS AND DESIGN: This study will follow the principle of evidence-based medicine and adopt various design methods, being conducted as a randomized, controlled, double-blind and multicenter trial based on the cause of HDB defined in Chinese and Western medicine. According to the cause of HDB in Chinese and Western medicine and its pathogenesis and prognosis, this study will conduct syndrome differentiation, adopt external therapy of Chinese medicine by using Sanjie Zhitong plaster as the intervention, take placebo as the control method and aim at relieving pain. The effectiveness and safety of Chinese medicine therapy will be evaluated. During the design process, some confounding factors will be taken into consideration and prevented with corresponding measures. We will also discuss the side effects of the medicine used and corresponding countermeasures to be taken. DISCUSSION: On the basis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, Sanjie Zhitong plaster takes the advantage of external therapy of TCM. According to the main etiology and pathogenesis of HDB, the treatment principles of warming the meridians and activating blood, smoothing circulation and relieving pain, and removing swelling and dissipating stagnation are put forward. The medicine exerts its effects directly on the lesion site by permeating into the skin and stimulating the meridians, thus improving blood supply to the breast and relieving pain.

Puerarin protects rat pancreatic islets from damage by hydrogen peroxide.

The protective effect of puerarin, an isoflavone purified from Chinese herb radix of Pueraria lobata, on hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced rat pancreatic islets damage was investigated. Exposure of islets to 500 microM H(2)O(2) could cause a significant viability loss and an increase in apoptotic rate. Pretreatment of islets with puerarin for 48 h resulted in a reduction in viability loss and apoptotic rate. 100 microM puerarin significantly inhibited the apoptosis of islets induced by H(2)O(2). In addition, preincubation with puerarin could restore the H(2)O(2)-induced decrease in basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic islets. Puerarin was also found to inhibit the free radicals production induced by H(2)O(2) and to increase catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the isolated pancreatic islets. These results suggest that puerarin can protect islets against oxidative stress probably due to stimulating the activities of the antioxidant enzymes. Puerarin may be effective in preventing islet cells from the toxic action of reactive oxygen species in diabetes.