• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.783-787
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• 2010

Purpose: There are many articles describing about Guyon canal compression syndrome. Until recently, most of these articles have been presented about the symptoms of ulnar nerve compression, but there have been no reports about ulnar artery compression. In this article, besides the nerve compression symptoms in the Guyon's canal, we represented the symptoms and treatments based on the ulnar artery obstruction. Methods: Guyon canal is composed of the hamate and pisiform, and the ligaments which connect them. The course of the ulnar nerve and artery, which passes through this narrow canal, is affected by the anatomical structure of the base of the canal. Out of 14 patients (21 cases) were retrospectively reviewed in this study from 2006 to 2009. Of 14 patients, there were 5 men and 9 women with ages between 21 to 61 years old. The symptoms had volar sensory loss of ulnar sided digits, with muscular atrophy of hypothenar muscles. Prior to surgery, most of these patients had vascular disorders which was diagnosed definitively by angiography and electromyogram. Results: The release of Guyon canal and interposition graft of the obstructed arteries was carried out to 11 patients (15 cases) who had artery (vascular) occlusive disorder, and. 12 cases had sympathectomy and interposition graft after resection of obstructed ulnar artery. Six cases had release of carpal tunnel performed simultaneously. There were no major complications after surgery. The circulation of the ulnar artery was improved along with the patients' symptoms. Conclusion: The pre-existing articles about Guyon canal compression syndrome were mainly focused on ulnar nerve compression. This study, which was carried out by our department, showed that most of these patients had ulnar artery obstruction or stenosis simultaneously with ulnar nerve compression. The vascular disorder was corrected by interposition graft after the resection of the site of ulnar artery occlusion. And to conclude, When we resolve the ulnar nerve compression, the proper diagnosis & treatment of impaired ulnar artery circulation should be carried out concomitantly.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.75-77
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• 2016

Double compression of the ulnar nerve, including Guyon's canal syndrome associated with cubital tunnel syndrome caused by the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle, is a very rare condition. We present a case of double crush syndrome of the ulnar nerve at the wrist and elbow in a 55-year-old man, as well as a brief review of the literature. Although electrodiagnostic findings were consistent with an ulnar nerve lesion only at the elbow, ultrasonography revealed a ganglion compressing the ulnar nerve at the hypothenar area and the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle lying in the cubital tunnel. Careful physical examination and ultrasound assessment of the elbow and wrist confirmed the clinical diagnosis prior to surgery.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.131-135
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• 2024

Cubital tunnel syndrome refers to compression neuropathy caused by pressure on the ulnar nerve pathway around the elbow. A 63-year-old male patient visited the clinic complaining of decreased sensation and weakness in his left ring finger and little finger, stating that the symptoms first began 6 months prior. He had undergone surgery to remove a ganglion cyst from his left elbow joint about 5 years prior in Mongolia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cystic mass located at the previous surgical site, which was compressing the ulnar nerve within the cubital tunnel. Ulnar nerve decompression and anterior transposition were performed, and the cystic mass was excised. Upon pathological examination, the mass was diagnosed as a ganglion cyst. The patient's symptoms including sensory dysfunction and weakness improved over the 1-year follow-up period. This report describes a rare case of ganglion cyst recurrence compressing the ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel after previous ganglion cyst excision.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-104
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• 2018

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy caused by focal compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. However, many patients with CTS, who are diagnosed clinically and confirmed with electrophysiological studies, complain of the sensory symptoms extends to the ulnar nerve territory. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a dysfunction in sensory fibers of the ulnar nerve was present or not in hands with CTS patients who had extramedian spread of sensory symptoms over the hand. We retrospectively analyzed the recording of the subjects who were diagnosed with CTS within a one-year-period of time. After exclusions, 136 hands recordings of 87 patient were included. We compared the results of median and ulnar nerve sensory conduction studies between normal hands and hands with CTS. We did not detect statistically significant difference on all parameters of ulnar nerve sensory conduction studies between the normal hands and the hands with CTS. The parameters of the obtained in median nerve sensory conduction studies were statistically different between the healthy control and CTS patients. The hands with CTS showed similar rate of ulnar sensory conduction abnormalities compared with the normal hands. In conclusion, our study showed that none of the parameters in ulnar sensory nerve conduction studies differ between two groups. Accordingly, our study revealed that ulnar nerve involvement does not contribute in CTS patients underlying the spread of paresthesia extends to the ulnar nerve territory.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.128-133
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• 2008

Nerve compression is caused by external force or internal pathology, which symptom develops along nerve distribution. There are median, ulnar and radial nerve compression neuropathies below elbow. Carpal tunnel syndrome at the flexor retinaculum is most common among all the entrapment neuropathies. Other causes of median nerve neuropathy include Struther's ligament, biceps aponeurosis, pronator teres, FDS aponeurosis and aberrant muscles, which induce pronator syndrome or anterior interosseous nerve syndrome. Ulnar nerve can be compressed at the elbow by arcade of Struther, medial epicondylar groove, FCU two heads, which develops cubital tunnel syndrome, at the wrist by ganglion, fracture of hamate hook and vascular problem, which develops Guyon's canal syndrome. Radial tunnel syndrome is caused by supinator muscle, which compresses its deep branch. Treatment is conservative at initial stage like NSAID, night splint or steroid injection. If symptom persists, operative treatment should be considered after electrodiagnostic or imaging studies.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.224-228
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• 2008

Ulnar nerve compression in the cubital tunnel is a common entrapment syndrome of the upper limb. Pulsed radiofrequency lesioning (PRFL) has been reported as a treatment method for relieving neuropathic pain. Since the placement of the electrode in close proximity to a targeted nerve is very important for the success of PRFL, ultrasound seems to be well suited for this technique. A 36-year-old woman presented with complaints of numbness and pain on the medial aspect of the elbow and the pain radiated down to the $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ fingers for 10 years after she suffered an elbow contusion, we then scheduled this woman for the ultrasound guided PRFL of the ulanr nerve. The initial ultrasound examination demonstrated a swollen nerve, loss of the fascicular pattern and an increased cross sectional area of the ulnar nerve. After confirmation of the most swollen site of the nerve via ultrasound, two sessions of PRFL were performed. The postprocedural 10 cm visual analog scale score decreased from 8 to 1 after the two sessions of PRFL.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.64-72
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• 2008

Compression neuropathy around elbow and wrist are one of the common disturbing problems in the upper extremity. The understanding of normal nerve architectures and pathophysiologic changes in compression neuropathy is important to interpret the ultrasonographic images correctly. Compression neuropathies have characteristic ultrasonographic imaging features of flattened nerve at compression and hypoechoic swollen nerve with loss of fascicular patterns at proximal segments. Dynamic ultrasonographic imagings on motion can show dymanic subluxation of ulnar nerve and medial head of triceps muscle over the medial epicondyle in snapping triceps syndrome. Dynamic compression of median nerve also can be visualized in pronator teres syndrome by dynamic imaging studies. A quantitative measures of cross sectional area or compression ratio can be helpful to diagnose compression neuropathies, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or cubital tunnel syndrome. With the clinical features and electeophysiologic studies, the untrasonographic imagings are useful tool for evaluation of the compression neuropathies in the upper extremities.

• 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 Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.12 s.257
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• pp.844-848
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• 2005

Background: Thoracic outlet syndrome(TOS) is caused by the compression of neurovascular structures that supply to the upper extremities. Only a few reports have been published in Korea, and this study attempts to investigate the clinical aspects and results of the patients who underwent surgical treatment. Material and Method: This study consist of 16 patients who underwent operations for thoracic outlet syndrome from May, 2002 to October, 2004. The surgical indications were confined to patients with: 1) symptom too severe to perform ordinary daily life because of pain, paresthesia, edema of upper extremities, 2) no improvement after proper physical therapy, 3) definite finding of compression confined by radiologic examinations (MRI, angiography, etc), and 4) no other diseases such as cervical intervertebral herniation, myositis, neurologic diseases below the brachial plexus. The surgical approaches were by transaxillary approaches in 12 cases, supraclavicular approaches in 2 cases, and infraciavicular approaches in 2 cases. Result: There were 15 males and one female with an average age of 23.9 years (range:19$\∼$39). Rib anomalies were observed in four cases (25.0$\%$), but the others had no abnormal ribs. Right lesions were found in eight cases (50.0$\%$), left lesions in five cases (31.3$\%$), and bilateral lesions in three cases (18.7$\%$). The follow-up period was 9$\∼$26 months and recurrence rate was 12.5$\%$ (2/16). Complications were one case of ulnar nerve palsy, one case of persistent pain despite radiologic improvement and three cases of wound dehiscence due to fat necrosis and hematoma. Conclusion: Although the choice of treatment in patients with TOS has been disputed, patients who have no response with proper physical therapies can benefit from the surgical treatment which may help patients to return to normal daily activity in shorter period of time.