The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine (대한한방내과학회지)

The Society of Internal Korean Medicine (대한한방내과학회)
권호 표지

The Analysis on Clinical Characteristics of Out-Patients of Oriental Thyroid Clinic

한방병원 갑상선 클리닉 내원 환자들의 임상적 특성 분석

  • Byun, Sang-Hyuk (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kim, Soon-Il (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kang, Ki-Hoon (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Lee, Byung-Cheol (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Ahn, Young-Min (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Doo, Ho-Kyung (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Ahn, Se-Young (Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University)
  • 변상혁 (경희대학교 한의과대학 신계내과학교실) ;
  • 김순일 (경희대학교 한의과대학 신계내과학교실) ;
  • 강기훈 (경희대학교 한의과대학 신계내과학교실) ;
  • 이병철 (경희대학교 한의과대학 신계내과학교실) ;
  • 안영민 (경희대학교 한의과대학 신계내과학교실) ;
  • 두호경 (경희대학교 한의과대학 신계내과학교실) ;
  • 안세영 (경희대학교 한의과대학 신계내과학교실)
  • Published : 2005.03.30
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Abstract

Objective : Thyroid diseases are one of the most common endocrine disorders. However, the first chosen-treatments including anti-thyroidal and hormone-supplement therapy in western medicines, sometimes have failed to improve abnormal thyroid hormone secretions and clinical symptoms. Therefore, there has been a growing expectation for Oriental Medicine to take the role of alternative therapy. However, there has been little analysis of clinical characteristics. In this study, clinical characteristics of thyroidal disease patients who visited Kyung-Hee oriental hospital from January to July 2004 were analyzed. Methods : A total 86 patients diagnosed as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism or thyroid nodule were selected. Clinical history, including sex, age, symptoms, disease duration and methods of previous therapy and thyroidal test, such as thyroid function test (TFT), thyroid scan and other thyroid examinations. Results : In distribution of onset age and sex, the patients who have visited oriental hospital with thyroidal diseases showed similar characteristics with typical patients. In clinical symptom, the most frequent clinical sign was fatigue in both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, which differs from the classical characteristics of those diseases. Most patients complained the unresolved symptoms, some of which are attributable to abnormal thyroid hormone secretions, in spite of western therapy with anti-thyroidal and hormone supplement agents. Conclusions : In oriental therapy, it will be necessary to consider the unique clinical features of thyroidal diseases different from classical patterns, and this study suggests that oriental therapy is a good alternative method for patients whose first treatment with western agents failed. Furthermore, more public information to these patients about oriental medicine would be helpful to increase cure rates, and give various choices to patients with thyroid diseases.

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