A Case of Intractable Leg Skin Ulcer Successfully Treated with Eppikajutsuto and Shiunko

Abstract

Disorder of venous circulation is a common cause of skin ulcers in the lower leg. Increased vascular permeability inhibits normal healing of the skin and often prolongs the course. We observed a 75 year-old woman who developed intractable leg ulcer caused by traumatic injury. In spite of the routine medical therapy of Western medicine, the ulcer got worse. She came to us when her doctor recommended surgical intervention. After initial treatment with boiogito extract with shiunko ointment for 2 weeks, no improvement was observed. Then the prescription was changed to eppikajutsuto extract and bushi powder with shiunko ointment, which resulted in increased urine volume and healing of the ulcer after 2 months. Although we usually use hozai such as ogikenchuto for the treatment of skin ulcers, eppikajutsuto might be a choice for the difficult cases like this caused by circulation disorder.