이식편대숙주병 환자의 복합 증상에 대한 한의 치험 1례

Abstract

Objectives: This case report aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Korean medicine in managing and improving the condition of a patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Methods: A 44-year-old woman with acute lymphocytic leukemia developed chronic GVHD affecting lungs and eyes after unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The patient presented with severe generalized weakness, heartburn, and various pain syndromes, and received acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and physical therapy during 1 month of hospitalization. Changes in symptoms, laboratory markers and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) test results were monitored. Results: Subjective symptoms improved, with general fatigue decreasing from an NRS of 6 to 2, headache decreasing from 4 to 1, and posterior neck pain from 6 to 2. The high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level decreased from 2.33 to 0.48 and hemoglobin level improved from 11.4 to 12.5. HRV analysis revealed an increased Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) from 31.676 to 33.032 ms, and reduced Low Frequency/High Frequency (LF/HF) ratio from 0.242 to 0.207. Conclusions: This case suggests that Korean medicine can play a role in not only managing subjective symptoms, but also improving objective indicators including lab tests and HRV results of patients with chronic GVHD who are refractory to conventional treatments. Further controlled studies are required to validate these findings.