• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제56권5호
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• pp.448-450
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• 2014

Nefopam, a centrally acting analgesic, has been used to control postoperative pain. Reported adverse effects are anticholinergic, cardiovascular or neuropsychiatric. Neurologic adverse reactions to nefopam are confusion, hallucinations, delirium and convulsions. There are several reports about fatal convulsive seizures, presumably related to nefopam. A 71-year-old man was admitted for surgery for a lumbar spinal stenosis. He was administered intravenous analgesics : ketorolac, tramadol, orphenadrine citrate and nefopam HCl. His back pain was so severe that he hardly slept for several days; he even needed morphine and pethidine. At 4 days of administration of intravenous analgesics, the patient suddenly started generalized tonic-clonic seizures for 15 seconds, and subsequently, status epilepticus; these were not responsive to phenytoin and midazolam. After 3 days of barbiturate coma therapy the seizures were controlled. Convulsive seizures related to nefopam appear as focal, generalized, myoclonic types, or status epilepticus, and are not dose-related manifestations. In our case, the possibility of convulsions caused by other drugs or the misuse of drugs was considered. However, we first identified the introduced drugs and excluded the possibility of an accidental misuse of other drugs. Physicians should be aware of the possible occurrence of unpredictable and serious convulsions when using nefopam.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제50권5호
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• pp.415-419
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• 2011

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible association of estrogen receptor alpha ($ER{\alpha}$) gene polymorphisms in a cohort of degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) patients. Methods : Accordingly, the authors examined the association between DS and $ER{\alpha}$ gene polymorphisms in 174 patients diagnosed with DS. The $Pvu$ $II$ and $Xba$ $I$ polymorphisms, bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and biochemical markers were analyzed and compared in the 174 patients with DS and 214 patients with spinal stenosis (SS). Results : A comparison of genotype frequencies in DS and SS patients revealed a significant difference for the $Pvu$ $II$ polymorphism only ($p$=0.0452). No significant difference was found between these two groups with respect to the $Xba$ $I$ polymorphism, BMD or biochemical markers. No significant association was found between the$Pvu$ $II$ polymorphism of $ER{\alpha}$ and BMD, vertebral slip or biochemical markers in patients with DS. Conclusion : These results suggest that the $ER{\alpha}$ gene polymorphism using $Pvu$ $II$ restriction enzyme influences the prevalence of DS.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.54-59
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• 2007

Background: Selective transforaminal epidural block (STEB) has showen effectiveness as a diagnostic and therapeutic option for the management of patients with low back pain or sciatica. This study was carried out in order to determine the short-term effects and prognostic factors associated with STEB in patients with low back pain or sciatica. Methods: Ninety-seven patients were selectedfor participation in this study. Their diagnosis were based werewason the clinical symptoms and MRI findings. We performed STEB under fluoroscopic guidance and injected 3 ml of radio opaque dye in order to confirm the technical success of the procedure. We then injected 20 mg of triamcinolone mixed into 3 ml of 0.5% mepivacaine. One month later, we classified the patient outcomes as excellent, good, moderate or poor, according to the degree of reduction in VAS score from baseline. The independent variables assessed included symptom duration, block level, number of blocks, primary diagnosis, prior caudal block, anterior epidural space filling of dye, medication history, demographic data, radiating pain, back surgery and spondylolisthesis. Results: At a mean follow-up period of 1 month after STEB, excellent results were noted in the patients diagnosed with herniated lumbar disc (70%), non-specific spondylosis (54%), spinal stenosis (44%), and failed back syndrome (28%). The patients with epidural adhesion and combined spondylolisthesis were associated with poorer outcomes. Combined caudal block, symptom duration and the extent of epidural spread of the drug were not related to the effectiveness of the treatment. Conclusions: Selective transforaminal epidural block is effective in treating patients with radiculopathy, such as herniated lumbar disc, but it isrelatively ineffective in treating patients with structural deformities, such as failed back syndrome and spondylolisthesis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.27-31
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• 2013

Background: Neuroplasty using a Racz catheter or epiduroscope and percutaneous endoscopic laser discectomy are performed as treatment for chronic refractory low back and/or lower extremity pain, but they are limited in that they cannot completely remove the causing pathology. Lately, epiduroscopic laser neural decompression (ELND) has been receiving attention as an alternative treatment, but there are insufficient reports of results. Hence we aimed to investigate and report the data in our hospital. Methods: Seventy-seven patients were selected who had received ELND via the anterior and posterior epidural approach through the pain clinic in our hospital from March 2011 to July 2012. Their medical records including age, diagnosis, epiduroscopic findings and degree of symptom relief were investigated. The degree of symptom relief following the procedure was categorized into 5 stages of very good (5), good (4), no change (3), bad (2), and very bad (1) at 2 weeks and 1 month after the procedure. Results: The subjects were 30 males and 47 females. Mean age was 54.6 for males and 59.6 for females, so the overall mean age was 58.1 years old, with the youngest being 23 and the oldest 88 years old. In epiduroscopic images of all patients, more than one situation of herniated disc, fibrous tissue and adhesion, or inflammation was observed. Sixty-seven patients (87.0%) showed symptom relief 2 weeks after the procedure and 63 patients (81.8%) showed relief after 1 month. Conclusions: ELND is considered to be an effective treatment alternative for chronic refractory low back and/or lower extremity pain, including lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis, and failed back surgery syndrome which cannot be alleviated with existing non-invasive conservative treatment.

• 척추신경추나의학회지
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.95-102
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• 2009

Objectives : We studied in order to compare the differences between the symptoms of patients and findings of MRI and X-Ray of patients with herniated disc which has been diagnosed often recently. Methods : We randomly selected among the 301 patients with X-Ray and L-spine MRI films who have visited Jaseng Hospital with low-back pain and lumbar and low extremity pain from Jan.1st of 2009 to Jan.28. We used SPSS 13.0 for Windows I in analyzing statistical data of study results and the level of significance were below 0.05. Results and Conclusions : 1. If there were radiating pain, based on MRI findings, the amount of herniation was more severe(P>0.05). 2. If the finding of a X-ray showed narrowing, based on MRI findings, the amount of herniation was more severe(P>0.05). 3. There were no significant differences between the presence of radiating pain and the findings of X-Ray(P>0.05). 4. Among the 301 cases, cases which showed findings beside HIVD were 79. 7 cases of hemanggioma(2.3%), 24 cases of spinal neoplasm(cord cyst, tumor etc)(8%), 7 cases of spondylitis(2.3%), 16 cases of spinal canal stenosis(5,3%) 9 cases of ligamentum flavum thickening(3%) and 16 cases of facet syndrome(5.3%).

• 대한정형외과 초음파학회지
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.113-119
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• 2014

목적: 제 1천추 신경근 증상을 호소하는 추간판 탈출증 환자 및 척추 협착증 환자에서 초음파를 이용한 선택적 신경근 차단술을 실시하여 고식적인 방사선 영상 증폭기를 이용한 방법과 비교하여 그 결과 및 정확성에 대해 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 2012년 2월부터 2013년 12월까지 요추 추간판 탈출증이나 척추 협착증으로 발생한 하지 방사통을 주소로 내원한 환자 중 제1 천추 신경근 차단술을 시술 받은 38명을 대상으로 후향적으로 평가하였다. 초음파를 이용하여 시행한 18명(A군)과 방사선 영상 증폭기를 이용한 20명(B군)을 1개월 추시 관찰하였다. 효과 판정은 통증의 변화를 평가하기 위한 도구로 시각통증척도(VAS, Visual Analogue Scale)와 기능을 평가하기 위한 도구로 요통 기능장애척도(K-MODI, Korean Modified Oswestry Disability Index)를 이용하였으며, 각 시술 소요 시간을 확인하였다. 결과: VAS 점수는 A군에서 시술 전 $7.40{\pm}0.85$, 시술 1개월 후 $4.7{\pm}1.43$로 나타났고, B군에서 시술 전 $7.39{\pm}1.02$, 시술 1개월 후 $4.36{\pm}1.64$로 두 군 모두 유의한 감소를 보였다. 소요 시간은 A군이 $477.53{\pm}115.02$초, B군이 $492.47{\pm}144.38$초로 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았다. K-MODI는 A군에서 시술 전 $72.8{\pm}12.3$에서 시술 1개월 후 $43.3{\pm}10.3$로 나타났고, B군에서 시술 전 $73.8{\pm}11.5$에서 시술 1개월 후 $44.1{\pm}11.2$로 두 군 모두 유의한 감소를 보였다. 그러나 두 군 사이에서 VAS 점수 및 K-MODI 비교는 유의한 차이는 없었다. 결론: 초음파를 이용한 제 1천추 신경근 차단술은 방사선 영상 증폭기를 이용한 고식적인 방법에 비해 임상 결과 및 소요 시간에 차이는 없으나, 외래에서 간단히 시술 할 수 있는 장점이 있어 추간판 탈출증이나 척추 협착증 환자에서 유용한 시술 방법으로 사료된다.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.139-149
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• 2012

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate clinical features of the patients admitted to the department of acupuncture and moxibustion in an oriental medicine hospital in order to provide clinical preliminary data for advancement of acupuncture and moxibustion Methods : Total 526 patients were admitted to the department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University from September 1st, 2011 to August 31st, 2012. Of these patients 11 were discharged on the day that they were admitted and the remaining 526 patients who were hospitalized for over 2 days were investigated this study. We analyzed inpatients by discharge progress notes and medical records, using PASW statistics 18.0 for statistical analysis. Results : 1. There were 361 females(62.9%) and 213 males(37.1%). The age distribution was skewed to 40s and 50s and the average age of the patients was 42.91 years. 2. The prevalence of the diseases groups was in the order of musculoskeletal disease, neuromuscular disease, neuro-psychological disease, and EENT disease. The musculoskeletal disease and neuromuscular disease together made up 92% of all diseases. 3. The prevalence of individual diagnosis was in the order of Bell's palsy, cervical sprain, lumbar sprain, herniated lumbar disc, herniated cervical disc, and lumbar spinal stenosis. 4. There were 261 patients with single diagnosis and 193 with two and 120 with three or more diagnoses. The days of hospitalization significantly increased with the number of diseases the patients were diagnosed with. Conclusions : With high concentration of patients seen in certain disease groups, continuous efforts needed to expand the usage of acupuncture and moxibustion treatments to other disease groups and to explore and develop other diverse treatment methods for better outcome of the disease treated.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.1043-1052
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• 2018

Study Design: Level III retrospective cross-sectional study. Purpose: To define and characterize the presentation, symptom duration, and patient/surgical risk factors associated with 'post-decompressive neuropathy (PDN).' Overview of Literature: PDN is characterized by lower extremity radicular pain that is 'different' from pre-surgical radiculopathy or claudication pain. Although it is a common constellation of postoperative symptoms, PDN is incompletely characterized and poorly understood. We hypothesize that PDN is caused by an intraoperative neuropraxic event and may develop early (within 30 days following the procedure) or late (after 30 days following the procedure) within the postoperative period. Methods: Patients who consented to undergo lumbar laminectomy with or without an instrumented fusion for degenerative lumbar spine disease were followed up prospectively from July 2013 to December 2014. Relevant data were extracted from the charts of the eligible patients. Patient demographics and surgical factors were identified. Patients completed postoperative questionnaires 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Questions were designed to characterize the postoperative pain that differed from preoperative pain. A diagnosis of PDN was established if the patient exhibited the following characteristics: pain different from preoperative pain, leg pain worse than back pain, a non-dermatomal pain pattern, and nocturnal pain that often disrupted sleep. A Visual Analog Scale was used to monitor the pain, and patients documented the effectiveness of the prescribed pain management modalities. Patients for whom more than one follow-up survey was missed were excluded from analysis. Results: Of the 164 eligible patients, 118 (72.0%) completed at least one follow-up survey at each time interval. Of these eligible patients, 91 (77.1%) described symptoms consistent with PDN. Additionally, 75 patients (82.4%) described early-onset symptoms, whereas 16 reported symptoms consistent with late-onset PDN. Significantly more female patients reported PDN symptoms (87% vs. 69%, p=0.03). Patients with both early and late development of PDN described their leg pain as an intermittent, constant, burning, sharp/stabbing, or dull ache. Early PDN was categorized more commonly as a dull ache than late-onset PDN (60% vs. 31%, p=0.052); however, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Opioids were significantly more effective for patients with early-onset PDN than for those with late-onset PDN (85% vs. 44%, p=0.001). Gabapentin was most commonly prescribed to patients who cited no resolution of symptoms (70% vs. 31%, p=0.003). Time to symptom resolution ranged from within 1 month to 1 year. Patients' symptoms were considered unresolved if symptoms persisted for more than 1 year postoperatively. In total, 81% of the patients with early-onset PDN reported complete symptom resolution 1 year postoperatively compared with 63% of patients with late-onset PDN (p=0.11). Conclusions: PDN is a discrete postoperative pain phenomenon that occurred in 77% of the patients who underwent lumbar laminectomy with or without instrumented fusion. Attention must be paid to the constellation and natural history of symptoms unique to PDN to effectively manage a self-limiting postoperative issue.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.9-18
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• 2010

Objectives : This study will broaden understanding of acupotomy therapy through comparison of side effects and complication which can be caused by the mechanism of treatment, surgical methods, and procedure by acupotomy therapy and epidural neuroplasty. Moreover, through an in-depth analysis of headache affected by two procedures, this research is supposed to find prospective cures for headache after acupotomy therapy. Methods : To compare acupotomy therapy with epidural neuroplasty this research was done using a comparative analysis eight theses about acupotomy therapy since 1995, as well as eleven theses about epidural neuroplasty since 2000. Other theses and data were used as references in the process of comparative analysis. Results : Acupotomy therapy and epidural neuroplasty, new treatments of damaged discs in the spine and stenosis made in 1990s, have the mechanism of treatment in common in that adhesion, a node or scar caused by the soft tissue damage is removed by putting catheter or acupuncture into the lesions. Epidural neuroplasty has additional injection into the lesions, which is different from acupotomy therapy in the process of surgical procedure. There are various reports of positive effects about curative effect in these two treatments. The two procedures may cause various complications. Headache may be a complication after surgery. The headache after acupotomy therapy is characterized as being an ache in the body, which is similar to that of post-dural puncture headache in the outbreaks and symptom. Headache after percutaneous epidural neuroplasty appears in general, which is similar to a headache as a result of the increased pressure of the brain spinal cord regardless of posture. Conclusions : Although they are alike in the mechanism of treatment, surgical methods and side effects, and complication after they are carried out as a result of analyzing theses related to acupotomy therapy and percutaneous epidural neuroplasty, there is a difference in aspects and mechanism of headaches experienced after the procedure.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제60권2호
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• pp.205-210
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• 2017

Objective : This study was performed to evaluate and compare the efficacies of caudal epidural injections performed at prone and lateral decubitus positions. Methods : A total of 120 patients suffering from low back pain and radicular leg pain were included and patients were randomly distributed into 2 groups according to the position during injection. In Group 1 (n=60; 32 women, 28 men), caudal epidural injection was performed at prone position, whereas it was implemented at lateral decubitus position in Group 2 (n=60; 33 women, 27 men). Visual analogue scale, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), walking tolerance (WT) and standing tolerance (ST) were compared in 2 groups before and after injection. Results : In Group 1, ODI values were higher at 30th minute (p=0.007), 3rd week (p=0.043) and 6th month (p=0.013). In Group 1, ODI, VAS and ST values were improved significantly at all follow-up periods compared to initial values. In Group 1, WT scores were better than initial values at 30th minute, 3rd week and 3rd month. In Group 2, ODI scores at 30th minute, 3rd week, 3rd month and 6th month were improved while VAS and ST scores were improved at all periods after injection. WT scores were better at 30th minute, 3rd week and 3rd month compared to initial WT scores. Conclusion : Our results indicated that application of injection procedure at lateral decubitus position allowing a more concentrated local distribution may provide better relief of pain.