Diagnostic Values of Tongue Coating Thickness and Sterno-costal Angle in
Functional Dyspepsia

Son, Ji-young; Kim, Jin-sung

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine > Volume 35(2); 2014 > Article

Original Article

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine 2014;35(2): 157-174.

기능성 소화불량 환자에서 설태후박 및 흉늑각 측정의 진단적 가치

손지영, 김진성

경희대학교 한의과대학 비계내과학교실

Diagnostic Values of Tongue Coating Thickness and Sterno-costal Angle in Functional Dyspepsia

Ji-young Son, Jin-sung Kim

Dept. of Gastroenterology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung-Hee University

Correspondence

Jin-sung Kim ,Tel: 82-2-958-8895, Fax: 82-2-958-9136, Email: oridoc@khu.ac.kr

Published online: June 30, 2014.

ABSTRACT

Objectives:
The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic values of tongue coating thickness and sterno-costal angle as the quantitative diagnostic indicators in functional dyspepsia.

Methods :
We surveyed 60 functional dyspepsia patients recruited by the clinical trial, ‘Clinical Trial for Evaluation on Availability of tongue diagnosis system (CTS-1000) : a Pilot study'. The patients were classified into three groups according to Rome Ⅲ criteria for functional dyspepsia, and categorized into five groups according to Instrument of pattern identification for functional dyspepsia. Nepean dyspepsia index-Korean version (NDI-K) score, tongue coating thickness (percentage of tongue coating by tongue diagnosis system (CTS-1000), and weight of tongue coating by microbalance), sterno-costal angle, duration of illness and body mass index (BMI) were investigated.

Results:
Among the 5 types by instrument of pattern identification for functional dyspepsia, a significant difference of percentage of tongue coating was found. Percentage of tongue coating and weight of tongue coating showed significant correlation with total NDI-K score. Sterno-costal angle showed strong positive correlation with BMI and also showed significant difference between the non-overweight (BMI<23, n=32) and overweight (BMI≥23, n=28) groups.

Conclusions:
Tongue coating thickness showed its potential as a new quantitative diagnostic indicator of functional dyspepsia. Further studies on the sterno-costal angle are anticipated to evaluate its potential as a new quantitative diagnostic indicator.

Key words: functional dyspepsia, percentage of tongue coating, weight of tongue coating, sterno-costal angle, tongue diagnosis system