• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.299-302
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• 2013

Erythromelalgia is a rare neurovascular pain syndrome characterized by a triad of redness, increased temperature, and burning pain primarily in the extremities. Erythromelalgia can present as a primary or secondary form, and secondary erythromelalgia associated with a myeloproliferative disease such as essential thrombocythemia often responds dramatically to aspirin therapy, as in the present case. Herein, we describe a typical case of a 48-year-old woman with secondary erythromelalgia linked to essential thrombocythemia in the unilateral hand. As this case demonstrates, detecting and visualizing the hyperthermal area through infrared thermography of an erythromelalgic patient can assist in diagnosing the patient, assessing the therapeutic results, and understanding the disease course of erythromelalgia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.72-75
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• 2013

Zoster sine herpete (ZSH) is difficult to diagnosis during an acute period due to the absence of the characteristic zosteriform dermatomal rash; therefore, progression to postherpetic neuralgia is more common than typical zoster. In addition, misdiagnosis of other neuropathic pain as ZSH is common in clinical situations. Here, we report a case of spinal arteriovenous malformation that mimics ZSH. This is a rare condition; therefore, high clinical suspicion for a correct diagnosis and proper examination are not easy. However, early diagnosis and definitive treatment are essential to prevent neurologic deficit and mortality.

• Oral Biology Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2018

Toothache is one of the most common discomforts experienced by patients in dental clinic. If clinical and radiographic examinations do not reveal any pathologic findings, we can suspect nonodontogenic toothache. Nonodontogenic toothache can be caused by a variety of causes such as muscle disorders, sinus and nasal mucosal problems, neuropathic pain, neurovascular pain, psychogenic problems, and cardiogenic disease. A thorough history and clinical examination should be performed to confirm the cause of the pain, and more accurate diagnosis can be established through local anesthetic injection. If the nonodontogenic toothache is misdiagnosed, unnecessary dental treatment such as root canal treatment, periodontal treatment, and extraction can be performed, and the patient's pain is not alleviated through such treatment. Therefore, the cause of toothache must be diagnosed correctly before dental treatment is performed, and clinicians should be fully aware of the diseases that may cause these symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2004

Purpose: We evaluated the effect of nerve decompression for restoration of plantar sweating and sensation in diabetic neuropathic feet, and we selected diabetic neuropathic patients with the possibility of overlying entrapmental neuropathy. Materials and Methods: From June 2002 to May 2003, we have investigated and follow-up examed 10 patients with diabetic neuropathic feet, with decreased sensation in their lower limb, who underwent peripheral nerve decompression. The surgical procedure was multiple neurolysis of the common peroneal nerve, posterior tibial nerve and its three branches of one limb. We compared the operated limb with the opposite, unoperated limb. We performed history taking, physical examination, sweat secretion test, touch sensory test using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments and electrodiagnostic study, pre-operatively and post-operatively. Results: On 6 months after the operation, the post-operative tests showed that there were noticeable improvements to sensation, statistically (P<0.05), but there was no change in the sweat secretion test. According to the Cseuz criteria, 7 patients out of the 10 patients who received the multiple neurolysis showed excellent or good results. Conclusion: We observed that the peripheral nerve neurolysis could be benefit for improving sensation and alleviating pain of the diabetic neuropathic feet with nerve entrapmental symptoms, but there was no change in the sweat secretion on short-term follow-up. To identify whether the effect will be continued or not, additional follow-up will be required.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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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.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.123-127
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• 1999

Chronic pain is a frequent complication after spinal cord injury. Various medical and surgical approaches have been applied for management of spinal cord injury pain but none of them are definitive. The N-methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, ketamine has been reported to have a significant effect in the management of neuropathic pain. We used small divided doses of intravenous ketamine (30 mg divided by 6 equals 5 mg, 5 min interval) in spinal cord injury patients suffering from chronic pain, and accomplished significant pain relief without side effects.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.223-224
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• 2023

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.79-85
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• 2010

Purpose: Many trials for new therapeutic approaches such as stem cell-based transplantation have been conducted to improve the repair and regeneration of injured cord tissue and to restore functions following spinal cord injury (SCI) in animals and humans. Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ATSCs) have multi-lineage potential to differentiate into cells with neuron-like morphology. Most studies of stem cell transplantation therapy after SCI are focused on cellular regeneration and restoration of motor function, but not on unwanted effects after transplantation such as neuropathic pain. This study was focused on whether transplantation of ATSCs could facilitate or attenuate hindpaw pain responses to heat, cold and mechanical stimulation, as well as on improvement of locomotor function in a rat with SCI. Methods: A spinal cord injury rat model was produced using an NYU impactor by dropping a 10 g rod from a height of 25 mm on to the T9 segment. Human ATSCs (hATSCs; approximately $5{\times}10^5$ cells) or DMEM were injected into the perilesional area 9 days after the SCI. After transplantation, hindpaw withdrawal responses to heat, cold and mechanical allodynia were measured over 7 weeks. Motor recovery on the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and on the inclined plane test were also evaluated. Results: The present study demonstrated that increased hindpaw withdrawal responses to cold allodynia was observed in both groups after transplantation, but the development of cold-induced allodynia in the hATSC transplantation group was significantly larger than in the control group. The difference between the two groups in locomotor functional improvement after SCI was also significant. Conclusion: Careful consideration not only of optimal functional benefits but also of unintended side effects such as neuropathic pain is necessary before stem cell transplantation therapy after SCI.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.70-73
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• 2010

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful and disabling disorder that can affect one or more extremities. Unfortunately, the knowledge concerning its natural history and mechanism is very limited and many current rationales in treatment of CRPS are mainly dependent on efficacy originated in other common conditions of neuropathic pain. Therefore, in this study, we present a case using a total spinal block (TSB) for the refractory pain management of a 16-year-old male CRPS patient, who suffered from constant stabbing and squeezing pain, with severe touch allodynia in the left upper extremity following an operation of chondroblastoma. After the TSB, the patient’s continuous and spontaneous pain became mild and the allodynia disappeared and maintained decreased for 1 month.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.229-234
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• 2000

The patient, 62-years-old woman, had a constant dull pain in the right mandible and an intermittent spontaneous burning sensation of the mouth. The pain began 6 months ago. About 5 years ago, a trauma in her right mandible which was so severe that kept her in the hospital for 2 days. This was followed by mouth opening disturbance with pain for about 2 years. However, she did not have a treatment for the temporomandibular disorder symptoms. After then, she experienced the trigeminal neuralgia characterized by an electrical pain which lasted about 30 minutes in her right face and head when touching the skin or hair. After taking a year course treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, the symptom disappeared. The pain was a constant dull pain and a intermittent burning pain which are contradictory. And the pain responded to various modalities such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drug, carbamazepine, and amitriptyline, among which carbamazepine was most effective. The diagnosis was clinically made as an atypical trigeminal neuralgia. The term 'atypical' is used when there is something unknown and the problem is not identified. It is thought that an atypical pain may be approached in the perspective of chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and myofascial pain, the mchanisms of which are poorly understood. As the knowledge of pain physiology improves, there needs to be modification and re-evaluation. Pain disorders must be classified on the basis of an understanding of the underlying mechanism and etiology.