title: The effect of traditional herbal medicines; Uyakujunkisan on trigeminal neuralgia in an elderly patient--a case report and literature review.
abstract: This report describes the successful treatment of a 72-year-old female with refractory trigeminal neuralgia using a traditional herbal medicine, Uyakujunkisan (UJS). The case report is of a 65-year-old female who developed right-sided trigeminal neuralgia that was partially responsive to carbamazepine (CZ). The pain gradually increased in intensity and at 72 years of age she presented for herbal medicine therapy. Cranial MRI demonstrated vascular compression of the right trigeminal nerve at the cerebellopontine angle by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery. Although microvascular decompression was considered, UJS was prescribed after informed consent. After 3 weeks of treatment with UJS, dramatic improvement of symptoms permitted a decrease in CZ dose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Japanese Oriental Medicine, School of Medicine, Gunma University 3-39-22 Showa-machi Maebashi Gunma 371-8511 Japan. tkogure@showa.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kogure
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Daijiro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatsumi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000473:pathology; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003292:Convulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D003292:Convulsants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D028321:Plant Preparations; C538779:uyakujunkisan; D002220:Carbamazepine