• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.423-428
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• 2010

Objective : Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA) is a distinct clinical syndrome that is characterized by the acute onset of shoulder and arm pain, weakness, and sensory loss. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics of NA and to determine appropriate diagnostic modalities. Methods : We reviewed the medical and radiologic records of 10 patients diagnosed with NA retrospectively. Neurophysiologic studies were performed in all patients and magnetic resonance neurography was performed in the last three patients. Results : A total of 10 patients were enrolled in our study. All patients had clinical findings compatible with NA. The most common clinical presentation was severe shoulder pain and weakness in seven patients (70%). Neurophysiologic study results were abnormal in all patients. Brachial plexus magnetic resonance neurography showed that the affected brachial plexus showed a thickened and hyper-intense trunk. All patients were managed conservatively with analgesics and physical therapy. The pain and paralysis of all patients improved clinically within 6 months of the initiation of treatment. Conclusion : NA is a rare disease but the symptoms of NA can mimic those of other diseases. Neurophysiologic studies and magnetic resonance neurography are extremely useful tools for the diagnosis of NA.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.715-718
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• 2007

Neurogenic tumors of the brachial plexus are rare. An malignant schwannoma originates from the schwan cells or nerve sheath cells. Occasionally, schwannomas are associated with Von Rechlinghausen's disease, but this is rare. We were recently presented with a thirty-five year old female patient with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis about ten years prior. The patient also presented with a mass that has been slowly growing for one year. Onset of pain occurred six months after the tumor began to grow. The mass was $5{\times}7cm$ in size. The patient underwent on bloc resection of the tumor as the mass recurred twice in spite of postoperative radiotherapy.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.229-240
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this report is to show the effect of complex traditional Korean medical care focused on warm needling(WN) and bee venom(BV) injection for a patient suffering from traumatic brachial plexus injury(BPI). Methods : A 51-year-old female patient with BPI was suffering from paresis and hypoesthesia with upper-extremity impairment. The patient had been treated once a day from 4 Feb to 11 Apr of 2015 mainly with WN and BV injection on the acupoints near the distribution of the brachial plexus. Improvement of the symptoms was measured by range of motion(ROM), manual muscle test(MMT) grip strength, and with the numeric rating scale(NRS) of tactile and pain sensitivity. Results : After 67 days of treatment, all obtained results showed remarkable improvement. The patient's satisfaction declaration was recorded through an interview at the end of the treatment. Conclusions : The results suggest that anatomically concerned WN and BV treatment can be a valuable option in reducing or normalizing pains from traumatic BPI.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2014

Background: To improve residual pain management in acute cervical radiculopathy treated with NSAIDs, the feasibility of early and repeated low-dose interscalene brachial plexus block (IS-BPB) needs to be assessed. Methods: This was a prospective study on patients receiving NSAIDs (loxoprofen) for cervical radiculopathy of ${\leq}2$-week onset. Pain was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS). A low-dose ultrasonography (USG)-guided IS-BPB (dexamethasone [1.65 mg; 0.5 ml] and mepivacaine [1%; 3.0 ml]) was performed at baseline and weekly thereafter for 4 weeks in an outpatient setting for the intervention group. All patients were evaluated using a visual satisfaction score (VSS) at week 4. Patients with baseline VAS scores < 70 (mild to moderate pain; MM group) and ${\geq}70$ (severe pain; SE group) were compared to the controls receiving NSAIDs. Results: A total of 316 IS-BPBs were performed in the intervention group. There was a significant difference in the decline in the VAS from week 0 to week 3 in the MM and SE groups (P < 0.05); however, from week 3 to week 4, the therapeutic effect exhibited no significant difference. Thirteen patients at week 2 (15.5%; MM: 27.7%; SE: 0%), 43 at week 3 (51.2%; MM: 83.0%; SE: 10.8%), and 47 at week 4 (56.0%; MM: 85.1%; SE: 18.9%) achieved a VAS score of ${\leq}20$. Patient satisfaction was high, and the decrease in VAS scores in both groups was significant (P < 0.05) compared to the controls. Conclusions: Weekly, low-dose, USG-guided IS-BPB can be implemented for early pain relief in acute cervical radiculopathy, with high patient satisfaction.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.69-72
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• 2018

Cavernous lymphangioma is a rare congenital malformation that usually appears in the early childhood. The most common site is head and neck area, where approximately 75% of all lymphangiomas occur. We present a cavernous lymphangioma abutting brachial plexus and causing shoulder pain. A 28-year-old male patient presented with right shoulder pain for 2 months. Neck MRI revealed a lobulated multiseptated cystic mass at the anterior superior aspect of the right neck. Inferior, medial aspect of the mass was abutting brachial plexus. Surgical excision was performed, and pathologic result with immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the diagnosis cavernous lymphangioma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2021

Background: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis is essential for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, it is difficult to maintain AVF reliably. It is vitally important to select proper blood vessels for AVF formation. In a previous study, a minimum diameter of 3 mm for the autologous vein was proposed. However, patients who did not meet the minimum vascular diameter before anesthesia, but fulfilled other criteria, showed satisfactory venous dilatation after brachial plexus block (BPB). This study investigated the extent of vein expansion by BPB and the surgical outcomes of dilated veins after BPB. Methods: Sixty-one patients who underwent AVF formation using an autologous vein between August 2018 and December 2019 were included in the study. The clinical characteristics of the patient groups, hemodynamic parameters including the diameter of blood vessels before and after BPB, and complications were investigated. Based on the venous diameter measured by sonography before anesthesia, patients were divided into group A (26 patients) and group B (35 patients), with venous diameters <3 mm and ≥3 mm, respectively. Results: The venous diameter expanded after anesthesia by 41% overall, by 62% in group A, and by 25% in group B. This difference between groups A and B was statistically significant (p=0.001). No other variables showed statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Sufficient venous dilatation was observed after BPB. Therefore, if the vein is sufficiently dilated after BPB, even in patients with a pre-anesthesia venous diameter <3 mm, surgery may still be performed with an expected desirable outcome.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.210-216
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• 2015

Background: Infusion methods during regional analgesia using perineural catheters may influence the quality of postoperative analgesia. This study was conducted to compare the effects of combined or bolus-only infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine on the postoperative analgesia in interscalene brachial plexus block (ISBPB) with perineural catheterization. Methods: Patients scheduled for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were divided into two groups, one that would receive a combined infusion (group C, n = 32), and one that would receive intermittent infusion (group I, n = 32). A perineural catheter was inserted into the interscalene brachial plexus (ISBP) using ultrasound (US) and nerve stimulation, and 10 ml of 0.2% ropivacaine was administered. After the operation, group C received a continuous infusion of 4 ml/h, and a 4 ml bolus with a lockout interval of 60 min. Group I received only a 4 ml bolus, and the lockout interval was 30 min. Postoperative pain by the numeric rating scale (NRS) and the forearm muscle tone by the manual muscle test (MMT) were checked and evaluated at the following timepoints: preoperative, and postoperative 1, 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. Supplemental opioid requirements, total consumed dose of local anesthetic, and adverse effects were compared between the two groups. Results: Sixty-four patients completed the study and the postoperative values such as operation time, time to discharge, and operation site were comparable. There were no differences in NRS scores and supplemental opioid requirements between the two groups. The MMT scores of group I at 4 and 12 h after surgery were significantly higher than those of group C (P < 0.05). The total consumed dose of local anesthetic was significantly lower in group I than in group C (P < 0.05). The adverse effects were not different between the groups. Conclusions: The bolus-only administration of 0.2% ropivacaine provided a similar analgesic effect with a lower total volume of local anesthetic and decreased motor weakness compared to combined infusion. Therefore, bolus-only administration is an effective postoperative analgesic method in ISBPB with perineural catheterization after rotator cuff repair.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.246-250
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• 2006

Brachial neuritis is a rare disorder of unknown etiology that affects the lower motor neurons of the brachial plexus. The clinical course is characterized by acute onset of severe pain followed by weakness and gradual recovery. Among diagnostic tests, electromyography may be useful. The brachial neuritis has been confused with other painful shoulder conditions. The awareness of this disorder helps prevent unwarranted diagnostic studies & treatment. The authors report a case of brachial neuritis.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.124-128
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• 2020

Motor paralysis is a less common neurologic complication of herpes zoster. Until now, a few cases have been reported, and most of these cases showed brachial plexopathy involving one or two segments. We report a patient with pain and weakness on upper extremity diagnosed as brachial plexopathy after herpes zoster infection. An 88-year-old female patient complained not only tingling sense, pain, and swelling on right whole arm, but also weakness on this right upper extremity. On physical examination, weakness is seen in right shoulder abduction·shoulder flexion·elbow flexion·elbow extension· wrist extension (grade 4), finger flexion·finger abduction·finger extension·finger DIP flexion (grade 3). In electrodiagnostic study and magnetic resonance imaging study, she was diagnosed as the brachial plexopathy, whole branch involved. This is the only case of post-herpetic brachial plexopathy involving whole branch in domestic.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.143-146
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• 2001

Background : Backpack palsy was described in military personnel with shoulder girdle and proximal upper extremity symptoms, predominantly motor in nature related to the use of heavy backpack. Currently, backpack were used for sports, transporting school books and child carriers. We evaluated clinical and electrophysiological feature of backpack palsy. Methods : We included 11 patients with brachial plexopathy as a result of wearing a heavy backpack on long distance marches. All patients were done routine blood sampling, chest X-ray, C-spine X-ray and electrophysiological studies. Results : All patients were right handed person and were not as having a thoracic outlet syndrome. Sensory changes were main initial symptoms and major persistent symptoms were motor weakness. 9 patients(81.8%) were damaged the brachial plexus on non-dominant side, 1 patient was dominant and 1 patient was bilateral involvement. 10 patients(90.9%) were damaged to upper trunk of the brachial plexus by EMG findings. The prognosis was good, 10 patients(90.9%) were complete recovery during 8 weeks, 1 patient was developed reflex sympathetic dystrophy confirmed by 3-phase bone scan. Conclusions : Depression of the clavicle and costoclavicular space probably plays a certain role in pathogenic mechanism. The non-dominant side is more frequently affected, probably due to underdevelopment of the musculature in that side.