Insights & Discussion
Acupuncture may be considered in patients with persistent, idiopathic vulvar pruritus.
Vulvar pruritus is a complex symptom of multifactorial origin, frequently affecting the patient’s quality of life. The treatment of patients with chronic pruritus (>6 weeks) is particularly challenging and often requires a multimodal strategy with an interdisciplinary approach. Besides the elimination of potential triggers and continuous lipid-replenishing basic care, antifungal agents and glucocorticoids are paramount. Medical professionals not specialized in the field should refer patients with refractory and/or suspicious lesions to an experienced gynecologist. A specimen should be obtained by punch biopsy for histological evaluation to rule out (pre-) malignant lesions.
It is central to the management of vulvar pruritus to offer a detailed discussion of the condition and treat patients with empathy. Their complaints should be taken seriously and patients should be informed about what could cause their symptoms and which treatment options are available for them.
Discover Related Insights
Current evidence shows that short-term honey supplementation following surgical or physiological menopause exerts an oestrogenic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect on the female reproductive system.
2021 Molecules Augmentation of the Female Reproductive System Using Honey: A Mini Systematic Review Ismail NH, Ibrahim SF, Jaffar FHF, Mokhtar MH, Chin KY, Osman K
Systematic Review Female Reproductive System Honey Menopause
A systematic literature search using Scopus, MEDLINE via Ovid and Cochrane Library databases was conducted. Records were screened and identified for preclinical and clinical studies addressing the effects of HS on the FRS. Data on populations, interventions, outcomes and methodological quality were extracted. Studies were synthesised using tables and written summaries. Of the 198 identified records, six fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All six records were used for data extraction: two experimental studies using rats as the model organism and four human clinical studies of honey on female reproductive health. HS elevated the progesterone levels, restrained body weight increase, prevented uterine and vaginal atrophies in ovariectomised rats, attenuated symptoms of candidiasis and improved oxidative status in patients.
Acupuncture appeared to be beneficial for treatment and prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections.
2020 BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Acupuncture for recurrent urinary tract infection in women: a systematic review and meta‐analysis Qin X, Coyle ME, Yang L, Liang J, Wang K, Guo X, et al.
Systematic Review Bladder Conditions Urinary Tract Infection
Five RCTs involving 341 participants were included. Methodological quality of studies and strength of the evidence were low to moderate. The chance of achieving a composite cure with acupuncture therapies was greater than that with antibiotics. The risk of UTI recurrence was lower with acupuncture than with no treatment and sham acupuncture.
Acupuncture appeared to be beneficial for treatment and prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections, noting the limitations of the current evidence. Given the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance, there is a need for high-quality RCTs of non-pharmacological interventions such as acupuncture.
This systematic review shows that the overall effectiveness of acupuncture treatment of premenstrual syndrome is superior to that of sham acupuncture and related medications.
2019 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Acupuncture for Premenstrual Syndrome at Different Intervention Time: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis Zhang J, Cao L, Wang Y, Jin Y, Xiao X, Zhang Q
Systematic Review Acupuncture Premenstrual Syndrome
Results. A total of 15 studies, comprising of 1103 cases, were included. Overall, acupuncture significantly increased the effective rate of PMS compared with medicine and sham acupuncture. Subgroup analyses showed no significant difference among different intervention time to start acupuncture treatment. Among the acupoints involved in the treatment of PMS, SP6, LR3, and RN4 were the most commonly used.
The current meta-analysis reveals that acupuncture leads to better effective rate, but the intervention time has no significant effect on the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for PMS. SP6, LR3, and RN4 are the most commonly used acupoints in treating PMS. However, large-scale, case-control studies with rigorous designs are required to provide more accurate evidence.
Fennel caused a significant increase in mean menstrual bleeding in the first cycle after treatment in the intervention group compared to the control.
2018 Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine The effects of fennel on menstrual bleeding: A systematic review and meta-analysis Nafiseh Ghassab Abdollahi, Mojgan Mirghafourvand and Sanaz Mollazadeh
Systematic Review Fennel Seed Menstrual Bleeding
A total of 7993 articles were identified through searching the databases, of which 7327 were excluded as duplicates and 666 were screened for inclusion. Six hundread and forty six were excluded by title and abstract based on not being relevant to the review and being conducted on animals. Eventually, six articles were included in the study and four articles entered into the meta-analysis. The results from meta-analysis showed that using fennel caused a significant increase in mean menstrual bleeding in the first cycle after treatment in the intervention group compared to the control. However, it had no significant effect on menstrual bleeding in the second cycle after treatment.
(-)-Epigallocatechingallate (EGCG), a natural product, has potent anti-proliferation, anti-metastasis, and pro-apoptosis effects on cervical cancer cells, enhancing the effects of conventional drugs.
2018 Molecules Suppressive Effects of EGCG on Cervical Cancer Wang YQ, Lu JL, Liang YR, Li QS
Review Article Anticancer Cervical Cancer Green Tea
This research paper discusses the potential of (-)-epigallocatechingallate (EGCG), a naturally occurring compound, as an anti-cancer treatment for cervical cancer. Traditional treatment methods involve the use of chemotherapy, but these have high toxicity and numerous side effects. The inherent low toxicity of EGCG makes it a promising alternative for treatment. The paper reviews the mechanisms by which EGCG inhibits the growth and spread of cervical cancer cells and promotes their apoptosis. Furthermore, the synergistic pharmaceutical effects of EGCG with conventional agents including cisplatin and bleomycin, have been evaluated.
For the discussion of results, the research shows significant evidence of EGCG's abilities to inhibit growth and spread of cervical cancer cells as well as initiate programmed cell death, or apoptosis. The compound's synergistic properties when paired with conventional chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin and bleomycin, further enhance its potential as a treatment method. The review also explains the underlying processes by which EGCG performs these roles, providing a comprehensive view on its potential applications in cervical cancer treatment.
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