• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2023

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) is a rare disease that must be differentiated from trigeminal neuralgia. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of anatomy, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, and several options of treatment for GPN. Lessons learned through our experience of treating GPN are presented in detail, as well as cases of misdiagnosis and diagnostic pitfalls. Microvascular decompression (MVD) should be primarily considered for medically intractable GPN. Techniques employed in MVD for GPN are categorized and described. Especially, we underscore the advantages of the 'transposition' technique where insulating material is positioned 'off' the root entry zone (REZ), instead of 'on' it. We believe this 'off-the-REZ' technique can fundamentally prevent recurrence, if applicable. In addition, Gamma Knife radiosurgery can be an alternative option when a patient is ineligible for MVD, though it is categorized as a destructive procedure.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2000

Objective : There are many treatment modalitis in management of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. In the secondary trigeminal neuralgia, there has been only sporadic reports of the etiology. Authors report the treatment result of secondary trigeminal neuralgia with percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy. Methods : During last ten years, 129 trigeminal neuralgias were treated by percutaneous radiofrequency(RF) rhizotomy by authors. Among them, nine patients were secondary trigeminal neuralgias. These patients refused treatment for the primary cause and only wanted pain control. The offending lesions were three arachnoid cysts, six tumors. The mean age was 47.8 years and the mean duration of follow-up was 6.2 years. The right V2,3 distribution was most prevalent area of pain. Authors used the conventional Hartel's anterior approach and straight electrode for RF lesion generation. Result : The early result was satisfactory. Eight of nine patients became free of pain and one patient needed minimal dose of carbamazepine. The overall pain control was 100%. There was no mortality or morbidity for initial RF rhizotomy. During follow-up, four patients showed recurrence of pain(44%). Among these, two underwent repeated RF rhizotomy and became free of pain. The other two were controlled with medical management. Conclusion : These results indicate that the percutaneous RF rhizotomy is effective means of pain control. Overall recurrence was somewhat higher than that of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Even with recurrence, however, repeated RF rhizotomy seems to be effective method of control of pain in these cases.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.12-21
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• 2020

Objectives : The aim of this study is to review clinical studies on trigeminal neuralgia treatment through Korean Medicine. Methods : We used search engines such as KISS, RISS, KOREAMED and NDSL. We limited cases as idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia without comorbidities. We excluded dissertation. We considered papers published after year 2000. Results : Fourteen studies were searched for this study. Various treatments such as acupuncture therapy, herbal medicine, moxibustion therapy, manipulation, pharmocopuncture, vomiting therapy were practiced for trigeminal neuralgia. Conclusions : All study were case report and evidence level of the searched studies was not high. They reported meaningful improvement through Korean Medicine treatment and these studies implied effectiveness and safety of Korean Medicine for Trigeminal neuralgia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.167-170
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• 2009

Pharmacological management is the first choice for treatment of the trigeminal neuralgia patients; however, if this mode of treatment fails a minimally invasive procedure should be performed. One of the most commonly used procedures is conventional radiofrequency lesioning of the Gasserian ganglion. Despite its popularity and success rate, this technique has disadvantages such as diminished corneal reflex, masseter weakness, numbness and anesthesia dolorosa. As a result, many studies have been conducted in an attempt to find a better method of treating trigeminal neuralgia. We report here a case of a trigeminal neuralgia patient that was treated with pulsed radiofrequency lesioning of the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerve due to pain in the frontal head that was refractory to the pharmacological treatments. Following the procedure, the Visual Analogue Scale score for pain decreased to 1-2/10 and the pain relief persisted for 7 months. These results indicate that pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the peripheral nerve may be useful for trigeminal neuralgia patients that do not respond to pharmacological treatments.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.224-229
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• 2007

Vertebral compression fractures can occur due to trauma, a malignancy, or most commonly, osteoporosis. These fractures are frequently seen in elderly women; 30% of postmenopausal women are affected by vertebral compression fractures. These fragile fractures frequently result in both acute and chronic pain, but more importantly, are a source of increased morbidity and possibly, mortality. These injuries can be treated both conservatively and with surgery. The use of percutaneous vertebral augmentation offers a minimally invasive approach for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. We experienced two cases of compression fractures diagnosed during the treatment of thoracic postherpetic neuralgia. Two patients suffering from postherpetic neuralgia with a sharp and stabbing pain in the thoracic dermatomes that was unresponsive to conservative treatment were transferred to our clinic. During the management of postherpetic neuralgia, we incidentally found thoracic compression fractures after obtaining fluoroscopic guided images. After a balloon kyphoplasty, the preoperative pain related to the postherpetic neuralgia was successfully relieved soon after the procedure, and there were no complications.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2000

This study was carried out among 34 patients who visited Yonsei Dental Hospital from 1996. 1. to 1999. 5 for trigeminal neuralgia. By studying the patient's treatment prior to visiting our hospital, features of trigeminal neuralgia, treatment process of trigeminal neuralgia, prognosis of treatment, consultation with other professions and involvement of surgery, etc., the results are as follows: 1. 67.7% of onset age range from 40s to 60s, and average age is 50.2. 2. Ratio of right to left involvement is 1:2.1, male to female ratio is 1:1.9. 3. Occurrence rate of each branch is V3(44.1%), V2(11.8%), V1+V2+V3(11.8), V1+V2(8.8%). 4. Treatments prior to admission to our hospital are extraction(5.9%), endodontic treatment(5.9%), medication(11.8%), Oriental Medicine treatment(5.9%). 5. Routes of admittance to our hospital are by their preference(55.9%), local clinic referral(32.4%), E.N.T referral(5.9%), Neurology referral(5.9%). 6. 70.6% of patients treated at our hospital who were relieved of symptoms, were referred to Neurology(66.7%) and Pain Clinic(33.3%) for the reason of relapse, side effects of the drug itself, incomplete relief of pain. 7. 2 patients who were referred to medical part showed brain vessels contacting trigeminal nerve root on Brain MRangiography. But pain is being controlled by medication and no specific surgical procedure was carried out. The results show that 17.7% of patients admitted received inappropriate early treatment. In order to relieve tooth loss and patient's psychologic stress due to inappropriate treatment, precise differential diagnosis must be made among local teeth disease and idiopathic facial pain. Medication may show side effects of the drug itself, incomplete relief of pain or relapse of symptoms. Therefore, to treat trigeminal neuralgia appropriately by drug injection, surgery or radiation therapy, consultations among dentists, neurologists and anesthesiologists are required.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.650-658
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• 2000

Objective : To evaluate the role of Gamma Knife radiosurgery in essential and tumor-related(secondary) trigeminal neuralgia, outcomes of radiosurgery and microsurgery were compared each other. Methods : Five patients with essential trigeminal neuralgia underwent stereotactic radiosurgical treatment with Leksell Gamma Knife and twenty five patients were treated with microsurgery during the same period(1994. 1-1997. 6). A 4-mm collimator was used and REZ or proximal portion of trigeminal nerve was targeted with maximal dose of 60-72Gy. The mean follow-up after radiosurgery was 39.4 months and that after microsurgery was 47.9 months. Results : At the last follow-up, four patients(80%) had excellent(pain free) or good(50-90% pain relief) outcomes, one(20%) had poor control after radiosurgical treatment. Twenty-three patients(92%) had excellent or good outcomes and two(8%) had poor results after microsurgery. Postoperative complications occurred in ten(40%) with microsurgery, but there were no complications in patients with Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Six patients with secondary trigeminal neuralgia received radiosurgical treatment directed at their tumors, and three patients were surgically treated. Three of six(50%) patients treated with Gamma Knife had pain relief while two of three patients with surgical treatment showed immediate pain relief. Post-treatment complications were developed in two of six radiosurgical patients and in one of three surgical patients. Conclusion : Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery may be considered as a useful and alternative option for the treatment of essential and secondary trigeminal neuralgia owing to of its safety and less complications. The preliminary results obtained in our series appear encouraging, although the outcome is not so good as that of surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.82-85
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• 1997

Destruction of the gasserian ganglion can be carried out by creating a radiofrequency lesion under biplanar fluoroscopic guidance. This procedure is reserved for patients who have failed various interventions for intractable trigeminal neuralgia including retro-gasserian injection of glycerol and whose physical status otherwise precludes more invasive neuro-surgical treatments such as microvascular decompression. Radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the gasserian ganglion provides a safe method of achieving long-standing relief from trigeminal neuralgia with low risk. This technique is currently emerging worldwide as the surgical treatment of choice for trigeminal neuralgia. Recently we performed a successful radiofrequency gasserian ganglionotomy, without any complication, under fluoroscopic guidance. The procedure was successful and complete pain relief was achieved for a patient who already had treatments of various interventions including microvascular decompression but never experienced pain relief.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.202-210
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• 2004

Purpose: this study was to examine the differences of the level of pain, depression and self-efficacy according to the classifications of pain among chronic pain patients. Method: The data were collected by means of self-reported questionnaire from 164 patients with chronic pain visited in one university hospital and one local pain clinic in Busan, from October 7 to November 16, 2002. Analysis was done by ANOVA, and Scheffe test using SPSS program. Result: The subjects were divided into five classifications of chronic pain : 26.2% low back and extremity pain, 23.2% neck, shoulder and upper extremity pain, 19.5% postherpetic neuralgia, 15.9% complex regional pain syndrome and 15.2% peripheral neuralgia. There were significant differences in pain (p=.000), depression (p=.000) and self-efficacy (p=.003) according to the 5 kinds of chronic pain. With the results of the Scheffe test, the patients with peripheral neuralgia experienced pain and depression higher than those with the other kinds of chronic pain. The patients with neck, shoulder and upper extremity pain experienced self-efficacy higher than those with peripheral neuralgia. Conclusion: Chronic pain patients should be provided effective individualized intervention depending on the classifications of chronic pain. Therefore the development of interventions for pain management according to the classifications of pain in chronic pain patients is needed.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.249-253
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• 1994

Postherpetic neuralgia is one of the most troublesome disease in pain clinic. Nine patients who suffered from postherpetic neuralgia for 1.5 to 8 month, has been treated with the epidural block for prognostic or therapeutic purpose. Epidural catheter was inserted as close to the involved neural roots as possible, and tip of epidural catheter was confirmed under fluroscopic guide. Epidural neurolysis was performed out intermittent injection of 1~3 ml of 6% phenol in saline and repeated 2~6 times over one or 7 days interval. Two patients reported satisfactory pain relief and 3 patients reported some pain relief. But 4 patients unchanged after phenol block. The overall duration of pain relief was not studied. Validity and safety of epidural phenol block was not confined. Further study will be necessary before application of epidural phenol block to postherpetic neuralgia.