• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.395-398
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• 1996

A retrospective analysis of 175 patients who were suffering from trigeminal neuralgia was done. We found 21 cases (12.0%) of abnormal findings including brain tumors and cerebrovascular disease on brain MRI. All patients were transferred to department of neurosurgery for operation. Among them, 7 patients refused or gave up operation and received nerve blocks with pure alcohol. Their MRI findings were meningioma, arachnoid cyst, arteriovenous malformation, venous angioma, and frontal sinus cancer This study demonstrates that peripheral nerve block or trigeminal nerve block with pure alcohol would be possible in case of elderly patients, patients who have poor general condition, patients who refuse operation, and brain tumor or cerebrovascular disease which located in dangerous area to be operated.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.207-210
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• 2001

Backgroud: Caudal blocks have been used for pain management in outpatient clinics. It is important to estimate the proper depth and angle in order to increase the success rate of the procedure. Methods: Data was collected from 60 patients who visited our pain clinic. We measured the depth of the needle's penetration and the angle of the needle at the insertion point when a caudal approach was confirmed by air flow method. We recorded age, sex, body weight and height, and calculated the ponderal index. Results: The depth from the skin to the caudal epidural space was a mean 2-4 cm ($3{\pm}0.4\;cm$). The angle at the needle insertion point was a mean 15-50 degree ($34.9{\pm}6.8$ degree). Conclusions: If we use the mean depth and angle as a guide, complications during the caudal epidural procedure can be avoided.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.114-119
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• 1996

Buerger's disease is a nonatherosclerogic occlusive inflammatory disease of medium and small arteries, and veins, of unknown cause. It occurs predominantly in young males who are habitual tabacco users. These patients often complain of painful ulcerations of their digits. The care of this disease is very difficult when the treatment is delayed. Consequently, early treatments are most important to patients with Buerger's disease. This disease can be treated with sympathetic block such as stellate ganglion block for upper extremities and lumbar epidural block, and lumbar sympathetic block for lower extremities. Intravascular regional sympathetic block can be another method of treatment. However, discontinuation of smoking is the most basic and essential treatment for Buerger's disease. We treated 43 Buerger's disease patients with stellate ganglion block and laser therapy. The treatment was not effective for three patients who definitely required amputation.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.103-105
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• 1988

Ramsey Hunt Syndrome occurs when herpes zoster afters the facial nerve. It causes vesicular eruption of the pinna, external auditory meaturs and ear drum, severe otalgia with associated facial paralysis and vertigo. We experienced a case of Ramsey Hunt syndrome and managed it with repeated sympathetic blocks using a stellate ganglion block. We achieved early resolution of the eruption, relief of pain and prevention of postherpetic neuralgia. We concluded that SGB was effective treatment against Ramsey Hunt Syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.217-221
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• 1994

Percutaneous neurolysis of upper thoracic sympathetic ganglion was performed in 40 patients by simultaneously injecting 3 ml of pure alcohol into the T2 and T3 levels after 3 ml of injection of local anesthetic agent on the same sites. Using a skin temperature probe, finger tip temperatures were measured on the index finger ipsilateral to the nerve block before block, 15 and 30 minutes after test block, and 30 minutes after alcohol block. Alcohol block was performed immediately after 30 minutes test block. Finger tip temperatures obtained at 30 minutes post alcohol block and test block and the differences in the temperatures measured before and 30 minutes after alcohol block were shown to be statistically important as potential indicators for prediciting long term outcome of therapy for palmar hyperhidrosis using this technique. These results demonstrate that the palmar temperature monitoring method is sufficiently sensitive to predict the outcome of nerve block during and after thoracic sympathetic ganglion block.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.324-327
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• 1995

Central serous chorioretinopathy is a relatively benign condition of young to middle-aged men, characterized by serous detachment of central retina as a consequence of focal leakage of fluid from the choriocapillaris through a defect in the retinal pigment epithelium. Approximately 80% of central serous chorioretinopathy undergo spontaneous resolution within 6 months. However 20 to 30% of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy have one or more recurrences and undergo chronic courses. In these cases laser photocoagulation is used to burn the leakage site directly, but there is no evidence that it reduces the chance of permanent loss of visual function and recurrence. We have administered stellate ganglion blocks (SGB) on a 43 year old male patient with central serous chorioretinopathy with multiple recurrences and experienced good results. We therefore recommend SGB as an effective treatment for central serous chorioretinopathy in conjunction with other ophthalmological treatments.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.77-80
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• 2006

Background: Painful experiences during procedures such as prolotherapy and intramuscular stimulation are stressful to patients and can affect the treatment outcome. We present a method for relieving pain and increasing the level of patient comfort during the procedure. Methods: Twenty six patients who requested sedation anesthesia during the procedure were examined. All patients were injected with 500 ml of 0.9% normal saline and were monitored by electrocardiography, blood pressure and pulse oximetry. The patients were supplied with oxygen (3 L/min) through a nasal cannula. Midazolam (0.02 mg/kg) and alfentanil ($8{\mu}g/kg$) was injected before the procedure and a bolus injection was administered during the procedure if patients felt any pain. The duration of the procedure, the total amount of drugs, the changes in the systolic blood pressure, heart rate, pulse oxygen saturation, sedation and pain level during procedure, satisfaction scale after the procedure, complications and the incidence of amnesia were evaluated. Results: Twenty one patients had a moderate level of sedation, 15 patients did not feel any pain during the procedure, 17 patients had high level of satisfaction (8-10). No patient experienced complications after the procedure, or unstable vital signs, and 6 patients could not remember the procedure. Conclusions: Sedation anesthesia is a safe method for relieving pain during the procedure, and most patients had a high level of satisfaction.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.275-279
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• 1993

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is a syndrome characterized by persistent, burning pain, hyperpathia, allodynia & hyperaesthesia in an extremity, with concurrent evidence of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. It generally develops after nerve injury, trauma, surgery, et al. The most successful therapies are directed towards blocking the sympathetic intervention to the affected extremity by regional sympathetic ganglion block or Bier block with sympathetic blocker; other traditional treatments include transcutaneous electrical stimulation, immobilization with cast & splint, physical therapy, psychotherapy, administration of sympathetic blocker, calcitonin, corticosteroid and analgesic agents. The purpose of this report is to evaluate and describe the effects of magnetic resonance following unsatisfactory results with traditional treatments of RSD. A 17 year old female patient, 1 year earlier, had received excision and drainage of pus at the right femoral triangle due to an injury caused by a stone. Afterwards, she experienced burning pain, knee joint stiffness, and muscle dystrophy of the right thigh, especially when standing and walking. Despite a year of number of traditional treatments such as: lumbar sympathetic block, continuous epidural analgesia, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, & administration of predisolone, her pain did not improve. Surprisingly, the patients was able to walk free from pain and difficulty after just one application of magnetic resonance. The patient has been successfully treated with further treatment of two to three times a week for approximately ten weeks. More recently, magnetic resonance has been demonstrated to produce effective results for the relief of pain in a variety of diseases. From our experiences we recognize magnetic resonance as a therapeutic modality which can provide excellent results for the treatment of RSD. It has been suggested that polysynaptic reflex which are disturbed in RSD may be modulated normally on the spinal cord level through the application of magnetic resonance.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup2
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• pp.352-355
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• 2001

The authors report two cases of familial hemifacial spasm according to the clinical and three dimensional shortrange magnetic resonance angiography(3D-SRMRA) findings. In the family of the first case, there were five patient's with acquired hemifacial spasm in successive generations. Three male and two female patients in successive generations of the same family developed acquired hemifacial spasm. Four patients were on the left side and one was on the right side. In the family of the second case, there were three patient's with acquired hemifacial spasm in successive generations. Two brothers developed left-sided hemifacial spasm. 3D-SRMRA finding of the probands demonstrated that both anterior inferior cerebellar artery in first case and anterior inferior cerebellar artery & vertebral artery in second case offend the 7th cranial nerve respectively. The presence of familial clustering of these rare disorders suggest an underlying genetic predisposition. All family pedigrees suggest that a pattern of autosomal-dominant inheritance with partial penetrance.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.74-76
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• 2019

A conservative treatment approach to temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is recommended as the first line of management, usually with a stabilization splint. Recently, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing and three-dimensional printer has been widely used in the dentistry since several years ago. The authors apply digital dentistry in oral medicine fields to make stabilization splint for TMD treatment.