A Case of Atopic Dermatitis Patient with the Treatment by Prescription Modified from “Shof u-san”

Abstract

A 34-year-old internist had been suffering from recurring atopic dermatitis for five years and had been unable to withdraw from oral and topical corticosteroids for four years. Oral doses increased one year ago and he visited the clinic for a prescription of decoction. He had dry skin, mainly over the face, shoulders, and flexions of the extremities, and the skin was partly lichened. The serum IgE level was 9, 302IU/ml, and the RAST score showed a strong reaction to mites. He was of medium weight and had fullness, tenderness or discomfort of the hypochondria. He also had irritable bowel syndrome (chronic diarrhetic type).
Pruritus was reduced four day after he started receiving a modified prescription of Shofu-san plus Oren-gedoku-to. One month later when flare was reduced, the treatment was changed to a modified prescription of Shofusan plus Unsei-in. This treatment made the skin non-dry. Furthermore, addition of sesame resulted in a marked reduction of the oral corticosteroid five months after he started receiving the decoction.