Chloasma is a kind of skin disease which is characterized with the tan patches on the face. As the chloasma is common among the pregnant women and hepatopath, it is also called the cyasma and chloasma hepaticum. Because the chloasma is usually with the shape of butterfly, it also has a name of "Butterfly Patches". It is a kind of frequently-occurring disease and manly affects the young adults. There are more female patients than male patients. It is especially common in women with 3-5 months of pregnancy.
It clinically manifests as the hazel, puce or pitchy irregular well demarcated hyperpigmented macules to patches commonly found on the forehead, eyebrow, upper cheek, nose, upper lip, etc. The patches are with a smooth surface and which is without the scales and rational symptoms.
The pathogenesis of the chloasma in traditional Chinese medicine is summarized into the following aspects: Lusterless complexion due to the insufficiency of the essence and blood; the stagnation of qi-blood and phlegm under the skin and the pigmentation; the imbalance of the qi-blood on the face due to the stagnation of liver qi and the heat-transmission which burns the yin-blood; the dampness-heat due to the deficiency of spleen which is showed on the face. Others believe it has something to do the Chong and Conception Channels which runs from uterus to the face on the upper part of the body. The disease occurs as qi and blood fail to run upward to nourish the face due to the injury of the Chong and Conception Channels which results from the stagnation of liver qi and blood.
