Objectives : We questioned whether the tongue diagnosis is effective for judging seriousness of cerebrovascular accidents. This study is about the relationship between tongue diagnosis and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS) in acute stroke patients. Methods : 738 subjects were recruited from the patients admitted to the department of internal medicine at Kyung-Hee University oriental medical center, Kyung-Hee University East-West Neo Medical Center, Kyungwon university Incheon oriental medical center, Kyungwon university Songpa oriental medical center and DongGuk university Ilsan oriental medical center from April 2007 to August 2008. We looked at the tongue as in three dimensions of tongue color, tongue fur color and tongue body. And, we calculated NIHSS means according to the subtypes of three dimensions. Results : 1. In the Tongue color, from the most commom to least common colors were pale red, red, pale, bluish purple, and ect. The NIHSS mean score of red is significantly higher than pale and pale red. 2. In the Tongue fur color, white fur was the most common, and then yellow fur, etc. There is no significant difference among three subtypes in the NIHSS mean score. 3. In the Tongue body, etc. is the most common, followed by teeth-marked tongue, enlarged tongue, blood patchy tongue, and mirror tongue. The NIHSS mean score of teeth-marked tongue is significantly lower than blood patchy tongue and mirror tongue. Conclusions : The tongue color and the tongue body are useful indexes for judging seriousness of cerebrovascular accidents presented by NIHSS. But in our study, the tongue fur color was not useful. Further study is necessary on the tongue fur.

Objectives : This study was to investigated the correlation between average temperature & precipitation and pattern identification of the patients with stroke. Methods : 115 stroke patients within 30days of onset were registered during the study period. Pattern identification of stroke was classified into Fire and heat, Turbid phlegm and others. We took the mean of average temperature according to pattern identification and analyzed pattern identification into two groups according to climatological normal of average temperature in Seoul. We also analyzed pattern identification into two groups according to existence of precipitation. Results : Heat and fire, and other type of pattern identification had high frequency when average temperature was higher than 12.2℃. And there was no correlation between precipitation and pattern identification of stroke.

Objectives : This study was done to investigate the relationship of differentiation of the patten identification in stroke patients between acute and convalescent stage. Methods : In the time of period Apr. 1st 2007 to Sep. 29th 2008, 903 patients with stroke admitted in the department of Internal Medicine of Kyungwon University Oriental Medical Hospital, Kyunghee University Oriental Medical Hospital, Dongguk University Oriental Medical Hospital were included. Patients were hospitalized within a month after the onset of stroke. Stroke patients were interviewed by doctors who studied standard operation procedures. A questionnaire was completed by a question-and-answer form between patients and doctors after explanation details to patients and the agreement of patients. Results : The frequency of fire-heat patten was the highest in acute stage of stroke and the one of deficiency of Yin group was the highest in convalescent stage of stroke. This result doesn't have statistical significance. (p<0.05) Conclusions : In this study, we found the relationship of differentiation of the patten identification in stroke patients between acute and convalescent stage. Further, we have concluded that this difference should be considered in the management for stroke patients.

Objectives : This study was conducted as part of the national project to standardize stroke diagnosis in Korean medicine. In this study, we assessed what categories of stroke diagnosis these three most common risk factors of cerebro-vascular attack(CVA), hypertension(HTN), diabetes mellitus(DM) and hyperlipidemia(HL) fall into. Also we looked into stroke subtypes and its diagnosis in Korean medicine. Methods : 806 patients with acute stroke from 5 universities(Kyung-Hee University oriental medical center, Kyung-Hee University East-West Neo Medical Center, Kyungwon university Incheon oriental medical center, Kyungwon university Songpa oriental medical center and DongGuk university Ilsan oriental medical center) across the country were involved from April, 2007 til August, 2008. We had data of 482 patients to be analyzed and diagnosed by a Korean medicine training doctor and a professor. Results : All three major stroke risk factors were diagnosed as being dampness-phlegm pattern, but no significant difference was observed except in hyperlipidemia patients. Stroke subtypes such as hemorrhage and infarction showed no significant difference in this study. Conclusions : This study provides evidence that hyperlipidemia can be diagnosed as dampness-phlegm by Korean medicine. Further studies with various subtypes of stroke patients are required to prove solid evidence with other stroke risk factors.

Objectives : Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increasing risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality but the risk of stroke associated with the MetS is less well established. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of MetS in stroke patients. Methods : We analyzed the data of 806 patients with acute ischemic stroke from Hanbang Stroke Registry supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea. Subjects' enrollment was done in the oriental medical hospitals of 4 universities located in the metropolitan region from April 2007 to August 2008. We analyzed all registered data and evaluated the prevalence of MetS and specific components of MetS. Results : The prevalence of MetS in stroke patients according to American Heart Association/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) criteria was 59.6%. The prevalence according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria was 41.6%. The prevalence of female patients was higher than that of male patients (71.8% vs 51% by AHA/NHLBI criteria; 61.7% vs 27.7% by IDF criteria). The prevalence of central obesity, low HDL cholesterol and hypertension was higher in female patients. There was no significant relationship between MetS and stroke subtype. Conclusions : This work gives us the basic data on the association between MetS and risk of stroke. There should be the prospective cohort studies to evaluate MetS and the risk of stroke.

Ataxia and vertigo are frequent clinical findings in cerebellar infarction patients. In severe cases, they cannot achieve normal activity in daily life. A 65-year-old man was admitted with ataxia and vertigo diagnosed as acute cerebellar infarction. We prescribed for Chukdam-tang to treat the phlegm disease. After this treatment, ataxia and vertigo improved. We suggest Chukdam-tang is significantly effective on the treatment of cerebellar infarction.

Meniere's disease is characterized by intermittent episodes of vertigo lasting from minutes to hours, with fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural pressure. The primary histopathological correlate is endolymphatic hydrops, but its etiology is still disputed. Several medical therapies have been offered to patients with this disease since 1961 that the first report had been given by Prosper Meniere. Some will be helpful for relieving the symptoms but there is still no absolutely effective treatment to cure the disease. One male patient with Meniere's disease was hospitalized in Kyung-Hee medical center, and we treated him with oriental medical therapies. The treatment was effective to relieve his symptoms, and they had been successfully controlled until he was discharged from hospital. The result suggests that the oriental medical therapy is safe and helpful to patients with Meniere's disease, so we reported this case.

Cerebrovascular disease causes various symptoms like hemiparalysis, facial palsy, dysphagia, dysphasia etc. Although patients take lots of time to treatment, there are many cases symptoms could not be cured completely and patients could get sequelae. Jihwangeumja(dihuangyinzi) is used the cerebrovascular disease with dysphasia and motor impairment of the lower extremities due to weakness of kidney. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Jihwangeumja on lower extremity weakness caught by cerebrovascular disease. In this study, we administered Jihwangeumja to two stroke patients with lower extremity weakness and analyzed the clinical progresses. As a result of the treatment, patients showed improved symptoms.

Transient Ischemic Attack(TIA) is an important risk factor of stroke but often underestimated by clinicians. In this case, we administered oriental-western cooperative therapy to a 72 years old female TIA patient with severe MCA stenosis. After treatment, all symptoms were disappeared and has not reappeared until 1 year follow-up.