• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.73-75
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• 2005

Spinal meningiomas located purely in the extradural space are rare, and they may easily be confused with malignant neoplasm. We report an unusual case of a purely extradural spinal meningioma mimcking metestatic neoplasm. A 38-year-old woman had neck pain and left side weakness. MRI scan revealed extradural spinal mass. Preoperative and intraoperative diagnosis was metastatic carcinoma, but permanent diagnosis was extradural meningioma.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.144-147
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• 2015

Recently, percutaneous epidural neuroplasty has become widely used to treat radicular pain caused by spinal stenosis or a herniated intervertebral disc. A 19-year-old female patient suffering from left radicular pain caused by an L4-L5 intervertebral disc herniation underwent percutaneous epidural neuroplasty of the left L5 nerve root using a Racz catheter. After the procedure, the patient complained of acute motor weakness in the right lower leg, on the opposite site to where the neuroplasty was conducted. Emergency surgery was performed, and swelling of the right L5 nerve root was discovered. The patient recovered her motor and sensory functions immediately after the surgery. Theoretically, the injection of a large volume of fluid in a patient with severe spinal stenosis during epidural neuroplasty can increase the pressure on the opposite side of the epidural space, which may cause injury of the opposite nerve by barotrauma from a closed compartment. Practitioners should be aware of this potential complication.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.97-100
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• 2000

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a combination of signs and symptoms caused by the compression of the vital neurovascular structure at the thoracic outlet region. It may stem from a number of abnormalities, including degenerative or bony disorders, trauma to cervical spine, fibromuscular bands, vascular abnormalities and spasm of the anterior scalene muscle. CPT (current perception threshold) is defined as the minimum amount of current applied transcutaneously that an individual consciously perceives. It enables quantification of the hyperesthesia that precedes progressive nerve impairment, as well as hypoesthetic conditions. We experienced a case of thoracic outlet syndrome caused by fibrosis of anterior scalene muscle. The patient was a 30 years old woman with a 3 years history of numbness on the ulnar side, progressive weakness and coldness of both hand, tiredness in the left arm, nocturnal pain in the left forearm, and pain in the left elbow, shoulder and neck. Conservative treatment, stellate ganglion block, cervical epidural block, anterior scalene block and previous operation, including both carpal tunnel release, provided no remarkable relief to the patient. A left scalenectomy and first rib resection were performed by transaxillary approach and left cervical root neurolysis was done. After surgery, we measured CPT using neurometer and found conditions worsening in the opposite arm. We performed the same procedure on right side, and followed by CPT measurement. This case suggests that CPT is a useful measurement of recovery and progression of TOS.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.133-140
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report a case of Brown-Sequard syndrome caused by traumatic cervical fracture, presenting pain in the right upper extremity and back of the left hand, motor weakness in the right side and diminished pain and temperature in the left side. Methods : A patient received Korean medical treatment(acupuncture, electroacupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion, Silver Spike point electrotherapy(SSP)) and rehabilitation treatment. We evaluated pain with the Numeric Rating Scale(NRS), motor grade with a Medical Research Council(MRC) scale, sensory function and Modified Barthel Index(MBI). Results : After treatment, the patient showed considerable improvement in NRS, motor & sensory function, and MBI. Conclusions : Korean medical and rehabilitation treatments could be effective for Brown-Sequard syndrome patients. More extensive studies should be carried out.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.46-49
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• 2017

Carotidynia is characterized by unilateral neck pain around the carotid artery. We describe a 50-year-old woman who presented with transient left-side weakness and right-side neck pain. She frequently massaged the uncomfortable neck area during the symptomatic course of the condition. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multifocal cerebral infarctions and a carotid intramural thrombus ipsilateral to the carotidynia.Long-term carotidynia might result in the involvement of an intramural thrombus and intimal disruption, and ischemic stroke after carotidynia may be provoked by carotid sinus massage.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.277-281
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• 2019

A patient with central post-stroke pain was treated for 4 weeks with scalp acupuncture and traditional Korean medicine (following a cerebral infarction in 2013). The patient presented at Chungju hospital in January 2019 with left side weakness and tingling, numbness in the left hemisphere, chronic pain and dysarthria. Initially, herbal medicine, acupuncture, pharmacupunture, indirect moxibustion, and physiotherapy were administered together with Western medicine, with no improvement in the patient's condition. On Day 5, scalp electroacupuncture (MS1, MS5, MS10, MS11) was introduced. The numbness feeling in the patient's head resolved, and the pain in his upper body decreased. Grip force difference between the left and right hand improved from 3 kg to 0-0.5 kg. Sleep disturbance was resolved after 4 weeks treatment, and his average numeric rating scale score for pain improved from an admission score of 10, to a discharge score of 5. The patient could walk unaided after treatment.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2010

Case of patients with weakness in cardiopulmonary system, other ambulatory function is normal, but oxygen supply function is problem. So they need reduce energy consumption for gait by assistance system. In this study, we designed and developed walking assistant device which helps flexion and extension of hip joint for cardiopulmonary patients. There are two motors, each at the left and right side of pelvis, providing torque to the hip joint. The target angle of the flexion and extension in the hip joint is set according to the normal gait. As a result, reduction of energy consumption was 14.8% by gait assistive device.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2018

Purpose: This study examined changes in gait speed and stride length after an intervention involving simultaneous scapular and pelvic patterns of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in a hemiplegic patient. Methods: A 58-year-old woman with left hemiplegia who had complained of slowness of gait speed and weakness of leg strength took part in an intervention involving scapular postdepression patterns on the affected side and pelvic postdepression patterns on the nonaffected side. The intervention was performed with the patient lying on her left side, in a half kneeling position, and in a standing posture. Rhythmic initiation was used for teaching the movements to the patient and improvement of kinesthesia, and a combination of isotonic was employed for increasing strength and irradiation of the scapula and pelvic movement. The intervention took place for 30 min. It was implemented twice a day, 5 days a week, for 3 weeks. After three repetitions, the average time taken to complete the 10-m walk test (10 MWT), in addition to stride length, was measured to determine gait speed. Results: After the 3-week program, the patient's performance in the 10 MWT improved from 21.7sec to 17.1sec, and her stride length improved from 31.4cm to 38.7cm. Conclusion: The results showed that trunk movement exercise, especially coordinative movements of the scapula and pelvis can improve gait speed and stride length by increasing trunk stability and mobility. A combination of pelvic and scapular patterns can facilitate trunk rotation, thereby improving gait speed and stride length.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.12
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• pp.545-549
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• 2013

We report the case of a 17-year-old Korean girl with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who presented with sudden weakness of the right-sided extremities and dysarthria. Oral prednisolone was being taken to control SLE. Results of clinical and laboratory examinations did not show any evidence of antiphospholipid syndrome or thromboembolic disease nor SLE activity. Cerebral angiography showed stenosis of the left internal carotid artery and right anterior cerebral artery with accompanying collateral circulation (moyamoya vessels). After the patient underwent bypass surgery on the left side, she recovered from the neurological problems and did not experience any additional ischemic attack during the 14-month follow-up period. This case represents an unusual association between moyamoya syndrome and inactive SLE (inactive for a relatively long interval of 2 years) in a young girl.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.176-178
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• 2009

Traumatic brainstem hemorrhage after blunt head injury is an uncommon event. The most frequent site of hemorrhage is the midline rostral brainstem. The prognosis of these patients is poor because of its critical location. We experienced a case of traumatic brainstem hemorrhage. A 41-year-old male was presented with drowsy mentality and right hemiparesis after blunt head injury. Plain skull radiographs and brain computerized tomography scans revealed a depressed skull fracture, epidural hematoma, and hemorrhagic contusion in the right parieto-occipital region. But, these findings did not explain the right hemiparesis. T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) image of the cervical spine demonstrated a focal hyperintense lesion in the left pontomedullary junction. Brain diffusion-weighted and FLAIR MR images showed a focal hyperintensity in the ventral pontomedullary lesion and it was more prominent in the left side. His mentality and weakness were progressively improved with conservative treatment. We should keep in mind the possibility of brainstem hemorrhage if supratentorial lesions or spinal cord lesions that caused neurological deficits in the head injured patients are unexplainable.