Abstract
Objectives : An objective measurement for the effects of acupuncture therapy had been regarded as one of the important agendas in the research of acupuncture. This case report aimed to measure the changes of blood flow on the skin flap after one session of electroacupuncture treatment. Methods : A 27-year-old male patient was treated with ipsilateral or contralateral electroacupuncture on the $LI_{11}$, $LU_{10}$, $LI_{10}$, $TE_5$, $SI_3$ and Ex- $UE_9$(Palsa) in the arm with the skin flap on dorsal region of the hand. Changes of blood perfusion on the skin flap and opposite dorsum of hand were measured with laser Doppler blood perfusion imager(LDPI). Results : Immediate post-treatment relative changes of the blood perfusion on the skin flap and opposite hand after one session of ipsilateral electroacupuncture was 21% and 18% higher than values from pre-treatment assessment, respectively. On the contrary, when needled contralaterally, relative changes of the blood perfusion on the affected and unaffected hand was 7% lower and 22% higher than values from pre-treatment assessment, respectively. Mean differences of the blood perfusion between on the skin flap and on control hand remained similar after the ipsilateral acupuncture treatment but substantially increased(44.58 of perfusion units). Conclusions : Electroacupuncture may alter the local blood flow on the skin flap. More study is needed to investigate the effects of acupuncture on the blood flow and microcirculation on the skin tissue by well-designed clinical and experimental studies.
이 증례 보고를 통해, 수배부 피부 이식 환자에 대한 환측 및 건측 상지의 전침 자극이 자극 직후 이식 부위 및 건측 수배부의 피부 혈류 순환을 각각 다른 양상으로 변화시킴을 확인할 수 있었다. 향후 전침자극이 피부 이식 부위의 미세혈류 순환을 증가시키고, 이식 부위의 재활 및 괴사 방지에 대한 임상적 효과를 나타낼 수 있는지에 대한 추가적 연구가 필요하다.