Key Symptoms and Acupoint Selection for Functional Dyspepsia Pattern Types

Objectives : Pattern identification is a unique diagnostic process in Traditional East Asian Medicine, which involves examining signs and symptoms to categorize them into types.Some key symptoms playing a major role in distinguishing between different patterns and acupoint selection can vary depending on the identified pattern.This study aims to identify key symptoms and acupoints specific to each pattern type in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD).Methods : Clinical information was collected from twenty-one FD patients who visited local clinics of traditional Korean Medicine using Standard Tool for Pattern Identification of Functional Dyspepsia (STPI-FD) questionnaire.Three Korean Medicine doctors conducted virtual diagnoses using this information in each patient case.They first identified patterns among three types (Pattern1: spleen-stomach weakness, Pattern2: spleen deficiency with qi stagnation/liver-stomach disharmony, and Pattern3: food retention), then selected five key symptoms, and finally selected the acupoints for each case.Results : We identified common and specific symptoms critical for differentiating patterns.Abdominal and chest symptoms, nausea and fatigue were commonly regarded as important in all three pattern types, while pale complexion, heartburn, and changes in appetite or stool were distinctive in Pattern1, Pattern2, and Pattern3, respectively.In terms of acupoint selection, LR3, LI4, CV12, CV10, and ST36 were commonly selected, while CV4 and CV6 were specifically chosen in Pattern1, and BL18, CV17, and GV20 were specifically chosen in Pattern2.Conclusions : This study identified important clinical information regarding the evaluation of FD patients and relevant acupoint selections for different pattern types using real patient data.Our findings suggest that this approach can aid clinicians in medical decision-making, including pattern identification and acupoint selection.