口腔乾燥症に対する小柴胡湯の臨床的検討

抄録

Xerostomia is dryness of the oral mucosa caused by reduced salivary secretion. The condition may be due to diseases of the salivary glands, secretory nerve disorders, and systemic diseases, but there is currently no effective treatment. We administered the herbal preparation Syousaikotou consisting of Saiko mixed with glycyrrhiza and ginger which have long been used in Chinese medicine to improve taste and smell, in patients with xerostomia.
The subjects were 19 patients with oral xerosis admitted to, or regularly visiting, the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Otsu Municipal Hospital, Department of Dentistry, Kyoto City Hospital. These patients consisted of 12 with uncomplicated oral xerosis, 5 with Sjögren's syndrome, and 2 with radiation-induced oral xerosis.
This preparation (granular extract, Tsumura) was administered 5. 0 daily for 2 weeks to 6 months. Subjective, objective symptoms and salivation was evaluated before and after the administration period. The outcome of treatment was expressed in five stages as markedly improved, improved, slightly improved no change and got worth.
An increase in salivation was observed in 16 patients. Subjectively, the condition was markedly improved in 2 and improved in 3; objectively, it was markedly improved in 3 and improved in 5 patients.
The preparation was considered to deserve further evalution as a treatment of xerostomiasis.