OBJECTIVETo explore Chinese medical syndrome typing features of epigastric pain and its association with gastroscopic manifestations.

METHODSUsing associated rules data mining method, an analysis study was performed in 234 patients with epigastric pain by combining holistic Chinese medical syndrome typing and results of gastroscopic examinations.

RESULTSPi-Wei deficiency cold syndrome (PWDCS) was associated with pale gastric mucosa, or superficial ulcers accompained with unobvious redness and swelling. Inversed Gan-qi invading Wei syndrome (IGIWS) was associated with bile regurgitation. Damp-heat stagnating in the middle jiao syndrome (DSMJS) was associated with obvious redness and swollen mucosa, or ulcers accompanied with yellow and white fur. Wei-yin exhaustion syndrome (WYES) was associated with coarse mucosa and exposed blood vessels, or rare mucus. Retention of blood stasis in Wei syndrome was associated with bulged swelling and erosion. Indigestion impairing Wei syndrome (IIWS) was associated with retention of water and food, or more mucus attached. The endoscopic manifestations of PWDCS and DSMJS occurred most frequently, while PWDCS and IGIWS ranked the first place in macroscopic Chinese medical syndrome typing.

CONCLUSIONSThe manifestations of endoscopic features were closely associated with Chinese medical syndrome typing. The syndrome typing features of epigastric pain could be objectively and further grasped by summarizing syndrome typing laws using modern devices such as gastroscopic examinations, thus improving the accuracy of clinical syndrome typing.