• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.258-260
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• 1993

We experienced a rare case of erection failure which developed after unilateral lumbar sympathetic block. A 43 year old male patient suffering from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, which had developed after multiple communitted fracture of the right ankle, underwent right lumbar sympathetic block with 99.9% alcohol. The effectiveness of the lumbar sympathetic block was evaluated by monitoring the clinical symptoms, signs and temperature changes by digital infrared thermographic imaging. Postoperatively, the temperature of the affected side limb rose about $2^{\circ}C$, but the patient's conditions gradually returned to normal. Ten days after the operation the patient complainted of difficulty in achieving an erection. The patient was examined by a urologst without much results. The patient gradually recovered his ability to achieve an erection approximately 5 weeks after the lumbar sympathetic block.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 1990

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 1991

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS), known also as Sudeck's atrophy, is an uncommon disorder recognized by its distinctive symptom complex consisting of pain and tenderness, vasomotor instability, swelling, and dystrophic skin changes and radiologic changes. The present study has been carried out to prospectively establish scintigraphic diagnostic criteria for RSDS using three-phase radionuclide bone scintigraphy (TPBS). In addition, the usefulness in the evaluation of treatment of RSDS was assessed. Patients included were 6 men and 7 women with the age ranging from 25 to 63 years (average 47 years). Diagnosis was based on typical clinical symptoms and signs as described above. Associated clinical conditions in these patients were cerebral infarction (4 patients), lung cancer (2 patients), trauma (1 patient), lymphoma (1 patient), and unknown cause (5 patients). All patients showed diffuse radionuclide accumulation in juxtaarticular region on the delayed static image and 11 patients showed diffusely increased activities also on scintiangiogram and blood-pool image. Fillow-up TPBS after corticosteroid therapy in 4 patients revealed near normal return of abnormal radionuclide accumulations in the affected hand. TPBS is an useful test for the diagnosis of as well as the evaluation of the therapeutic effects of RSDS.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.288-293
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• 2004

Purpose: increased uptake of wrist and hand joints in three phase bone scintigraphy (TPBS) have been used in the detection of reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS). TPBS frequently shows increased shoulder uptake in the hemiplegic RSDS patients. We investigated the significance of the shoulder uptake in the detection of these patients. Materials and Methods: Twenty three patients who had hemiplegia due to brain stroke and diagnosed as RSD were enrolled in this study (M:F=16:7, R:L=11:12). The mean age was $63{\pm}10$ yrs. Ter normal volunteer (mean age: $60{\pm}5$, M:F=1:9) data was used as control group. TPBS was performed $59{\pm}32$ days after stoke (acute stage). We obtained the count ratios of bilateral hands by drawing a region of interest (ROI) in three phase images and compared to the count ratios of shoulders in the delayed image. Hand ROI included an ipsilateral wrist. Sensitivity of detecting the affected limb was defined using the right/left count ratio of normal control. Results: Sensitivities using count ratios of hand blood flow, blood pool and delayed image were 45%, 76% and 78%, respectively. Sensitivity of shoulder count ratio was 74%. Log of right/left counts of hand delayed image and that of shoulder delayed image were correlated well with statistical significance (Spearman's R=0.824, p<0.001). Conclusion: Shoulder uptake showed good correlation with hand uptake in the delayed image of TPBS. Shoulder uptake maybe helpful in the diagnosis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome in patients with hemiplegia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.420-423
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• 2010

Objective : Peripheral nerve injury often leads to neuropathic pain, which is characterized by burning pain, allodynia, and hyperalgesia. The role of the sympathetic nervous system in neuropathic pain is a complex and controversial issue. It is generally accepted that the alpha adrenoreceptor (AR) in sympathetic nerve system plays a significant role in the maintenance of pain. Among alpha adrenoreceptor, alpha-1 receptors play a major role in the sympathetic mediated pain. The primary goal of this study is to test the hypothesis that sympathetically maintained pain involves peripheral alpha-2 receptors in human. Methods : The study was a randomized, prospective, double-blinded, crossover study involving twenty patients. The treatments were : Yohimbine (30 mg mixed in 500 mL normal saline), and Phentolamine (1 mg/kg in 500 mL normal saline) in 500 mL normal saline at 70 mL/hr initially then titrated. The patients underwent infusions on three different appointments, at least one month apart. Thus, all patients received all 2 treatments. Pain measurement was by visual analogue scale, neuropathic pain questionnaire, and McGill pain questionnaire. Results : There were significant decreases in the visual analogue scale, neuropathic score, McGill pain score of yohimnine, and phentolamine. Conclusion : We conclude that alpha-2 adrenoreceptor, along with alpha-2 adrenoreceptor, may be play role in sympathetically maintained pain in human.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.208-211
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• 1998

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is an important clinical entity that is characterized by excessive or prolonged pain, vasomotor and other autonomic disturbances, delayed recovery of function, and trophic changes. This syndrome is among the most frequently encountered problems in clinical medicine, and proper diagnosis and therapy are critical. Accidental or surgical trauma or one of a variety of disease states may become a precipitating factor. Proper recognition and treatment result in rapid elimination of symptoms and complete recovery. A 56-years old male accidented total amputation of the proxomal part of the left index finger in May, 1996. Emergently, complete replantation procedure was successfully performed in the department of reconstructive surgery, medical center, Korea University. Afterward, he began to suffer from uncontrolled, prolonged pain in left index finger, proximally spreading pain to the left upper extremity and limited joint movement of the left shoulder. Although many treatments were used for this syndrom, not all of them were effective. Furthermore, the treatments which proved effective had detrimental side effects. However, thoracoscopic left thoracic sympathectomy was performed in our department. This therapy successfully relieved the pain and improved shoulder joint movement.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.242-245
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• 1999

Gabapentin is an oral antiepileptic agent with an unknown mechanism of action. There have been many proposed uses for gabapentin, including neuropathic pain, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, postherpetic neuralgia, midscapular pain secondary to radiation myelopathy and migraine prophylaxis. This report presents patients who were treated with gabapentin when other pharmacologic interventions failed to relieve neuropathic pain 3 patients with neuropathic pain were included among these cases. All patients were started on 200 mg gabapentin. The maximum dose required for pain relief was between 800 mg and 2400 mg. Gabapentin may be a useful adjunct for treating neuropathic pain with minimum of side effects.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2003

Although the number of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is increasing, complications after primary ACL reconstruction are more difficult to determine. Intraoperative and postoperative complications can lead to ultimate failure of a primary reconstructive procedure. Therefore, surgical success in ACL reconstruction requires detailed knowledge and technical advancements about ACL reconstruction. Preoperatively surgeon must pay attention to selection of grafts and methods of fixation, and intraoperatively, attention to the harvest of graft, passage of graft, intraarticuar placement of the graft, notchplasty, proper tensioning of the graft, and others. Postoperative complications must be detected early, including infection, abnormal healing responses, arthrofibrosis, graft rejection, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Careful patient selection, appropriate surgical timing, careful surgical technique, and supervised preoperative and postoperative rehabilitation can minimize postoperative complications.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.275-278
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• 1996

The placement of epidural catheter may cause complications such as epidural hematoma, epidural abscess and neural damage. Among the above complications, epidural abscess is a rare but serious complication. This report pertains to a diabetic metlitus patient who developed spinal epidural and subdural abscess after continuous epidural catheterization for management of pain caused by reflex sympathetic dystrophy. The patient experienced urinary incontinence, as a neurologic sign, 8 days after epidural catherization. In was considered that the poor prognosis was due to a combination effects of a delayed visit to the hospital for treatment, rapid progression of abscess and uncontrolled blood sugar level. We therefore recommend aseptic technique and proper control of blood sugar level to prevent infection during and after epidural catheterization for diabetic patients. Early diagnosis of epidural abscess following surgical procedure must be required to avoid sequelae.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 1999

We investigated the effectiveness of arthroscopic decompression in stage Ⅱ subacromial impingement after long term follow up. Arthroscopic subacromial decompression was done in 104 consecutive patients who had stage Ⅱ sub­acromial impingement. After average of 8.4 years follow up, the final results were as following; 57 shoulders(55%) in excellent, 25(24%) in good, 16(15%) in fair and 6(6%) in poor. All parameters-pain, function, muscle strength and motion-were improved significantly(p<0.00l). Rotator cuff tear was developed in 10 shoulders after decompression. Among them, 8 shoulders had unfavorable results including two poor. In 6 failures, two had rotator cuff tear, three had recurrence of impingement with degenerative change and reflex sympathetic dystrophy was developed in one. Reoperations were done in 4 shoulders. Improvement of impingement symptoms was maintained in the most of patients(79%) after long term follow up. Arthroscopic decompression surgery was very effective means for stage Ⅱ impingement syndrome.