A Case of Prurigo Nodularis with Skin Rash that Occurred after COVID-19 Vaccination

Ju-Hyun Lee; Hwan-Young Kim; Min-Cheol Park; Eun-Heui Jo; Lee, Ju-Hyun; Kim, Hwan-Young; Park, Min-Cheol; Jo, Eun-Heui

doi:10.13048/jkm.23035

JKM > Volume 44(3); 2023 > Article

Lee, Kim, Park, and Jo: A Case of Prurigo Nodularis with Skin Rash that Occurred after COVID-19 Vaccination

Case Report

The Journal of Korean Medicine 2023; 44(3): 117-125.

Published online: September 1, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.23035

A Case of Prurigo Nodularis with Skin Rash that Occurred after COVID-19 Vaccination

Ju-Hyun Lee¹

, Hwan-Young Kim²

, Min-Cheol Park³^{, 4}^{, *}

, Eun-Heui Jo⁴^{, 5}^{, *}

¹Department of Medical Support, Imsil-gun Medical Center, Imsil, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea

²Yaksonbubu Korean Medicine Clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea

³Department of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Dermatology, Wonkwang University Korean Medicine Hospital, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea

⁴Research Center of Traditional Korean Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea

⁵Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wonkwang University Korean Medicine Hospital, Deokjingu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea

Correspondence to: Min-Cheol Park, Department of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Dermatology, Wonkwang University, Korean Medicine Hospital, 895 Muwang-ro, Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do, 54538, Republic of Korea, Tel: +82-63-859-2821, Fax: +82-63-841-0033, E-mail: spinx11@wonkwang.ac.kr

Correspondence to: Eun-Heui Jo, Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, Wonkwang University Korean Medicine Hospital, 99, Garyeonsan-ro, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, 54887, Republic of Korea, Tel: +82-63-270-1022, Fax: +82-63-270-1199, E-mail: freezo@wonkwang.ac.kr

Received April 26, 2023 Revised May 30, 2023 Accepted August 22, 2023

Abstract

Objectives

This study is to report a case of prurigo nodularis with skin rash that occurred after COVID-19 vaccination improved by Korean medicine treatment.

Methods

The patient visited our hospital complaining of prurigo nodularis and skin rashes which occurred in various parts of the body (Total score 17). The patient complained of sleep disturbance (NRS 9) due to nighttime pruritus (NRS 7). Based on the patient’s symptoms, herbal medicine Soshiho-tang and acupuncture on the left Triple Energizer Hangyeok was prescribed.

Results

Most of the skin symptoms improved significantly leaving only scars, minor scratches and pigmentation (Total score 17 → 6). The patient’s sleep condition improved (NRS 7 → 1) as the pruritus decreased from NRS 9 to 2.

Conclusions

This study is significant in that the patient with prurigo nodularis accompanied by skin rash effectively improved by the Korean Medicine treatment.

Keywords: Case Report, Prurigo Nodularis, Traditional Medicine, Soshiho-tang

Fig. 1

Treatment timeline

Fig. 2

Clinical progress of purigo nodularis

Fig. 3

Clinical progress of skin rash

Table 1

Symptom Evaluation Index

		Symptom Severity
Objective Symptoms	Redness Erythema Papule Nodule Abrasion Crusting	0=Absence 1=Mild 2=Moderate 3=Severe
Subjective Symptoms	Pruritus Sleep Loss	0 (None) ~ 10 (Severe)

Table 2

Prescription of Soshiho-tang

	Name of Natural Medicine (Herbal Medicine)	Weight(g)
柴胡	Bupleurum falcatum L.	8
半夏	Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino	6
黃芩	Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi	3
人蔘	Panax ginseng C.A. Mey.	3
生薑	Zingiber officinale Roscoe	3
大棗	Ziziphus jujuba Mill.	4
甘草	Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.	3

	Total Amount	30

Table 3

Symptom Progress of Purigo Nodularis and Skin Rash

		2022.02.28	2022.03.18	2022.04.05
Objective Symptoms	Redness	3	1	1
	Erythema	3	2	1
	Papule	2	1	1
	Nodule	3	2	1
	Abrasion	3	2	1
	Crusting	3	2	1

Subjective Symptoms	Pruritus	9	5	2
Subjective Symptoms	Sleep Loss	7	3	1

Total		33	18	9

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