title: [Comparative study on effect of plum-blossom needle and western medication on follicular maldevelopment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe clinical efficacy of plum-blossom needle for follicular maldevelopment (FM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty cases of FM were randomly divided into a plum-blossom needle group and a medication group, 25 cases in each one. In the plum-blossom needle group, the plum-blossom needle was applied along Thoroughfare, Conception, Governor and Belt Vessel as well as at Pishu (BL 20), Weishu (BL 21), Shenshu (BL 23), Luanchao (Extra), Zigong (EX-CA 1) during the follicular growth phase, once every other day. In the medication group, clomifene (CC) was prescribed for oral administration and human choriogonadotropin (HCG) was given by intramuscular injection, once each day. For both groups, one menstrual cycle constituted one course. After two courses of treatment, follicular development condition, the changes of endometrial thickness and morphology, ovarian resistent index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI), rate of ovulation and pregnancy were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the treatment, the average diameters of the biggest follicle increased in both groups, while the endometrial thickness and morphology in the plum-blossom needle group were superior to those in the medication group (all P < 0.05). Ovarian RI and PI during mature follicular phase in the plum-blossom needle group were inferior to those in the medication group (both P < 0.05). The differences in ovulation and pregnancy rate were not significant statistically between the two groups (both P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The plum-blossom needle therapy based on regulating Thoroughfare, Conception, Governor and Belt Vessel could improve the ovarian blood perfusion, promote the follicular growth, increase the ovulation rate of mature follicle and avoid the out-of-sync between growth of follicle and endometrium during the treatment of western medication.
authors.affiliation: Gyhnecology Department of Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of CM, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ying-Zhou
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Xiu-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiang-Dan
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Tian-Tian
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D002996:Clomiphene / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002996:Clomiphene