• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.78-81
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• 1995

We evaluated the effects of the stellate ganglion block(SGB) on the palmar hyperhidrosis. Ten patients of the palmar hyperhidrosis were taken right and left SGBs, 15 times on each side, total of 30 times, with 1% mepivacaine HCl 5 ml, with no discrimination on sex and age. Although there was a little decrease in the frequency of perspirations on 2 patients after the 15th block, no difference was noted after the overall 30th block at them. None of all 10 patients was satisfied symptomatically and no evidence of decreasing perspiration was found. Conclusively it seems that SGB with 1% mepivacaine HCl 5 ml is not an adequate therapy on the palmar hyperhidrosis even though it diminishes perspiration transiently.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.347-349
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• 1995

A 43 year old man who suffered from right facial palsy was treated successfully with the application of both magnetic resonance diagnostic analyser(MRA) and drug therapy. Treatment of facial palsy is generally composed of stellate ganglion block(SGB), drug therapy and operative intervention. Short periods of exposure to appropriate magnetic resonance can beneficially modulate the balance of autonomic nervous system that are responsible for sympathetic overflow. It was concluded that recovery of facial palsy by application of both MRA and drug therapy was effective in patient who refused SGB.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.251-254
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• 1993

Hemifacial spasm is a distressing condition characterized by involuntary, intermittent, unilateral twitching of all or parts of the muscles innervated by the facial nerve. This occurrence is most common in middle-aged women. Because etiology of idiopathic hemifacial spasm has remained undefined, no causative agent nor reliable treatment has been established. This report describes a case of CT guided chemical facial nerve block for the treatment of hemifacial spasm. An injection of small amount(0.1 ml) of alcohol(95%) provided relief of the facial spasms.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.160-164
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• 1990

Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus comprises 7% of all herpes zoster infection, 50% of those involving eyeballs, and is one disease entitiy with a very grave prognosis. We have experienced a 68-year-old man who visited the emergency room complaining of severe pain in his eye and headache with loss of vision. He was seen by neurosurgeons, dermatologists and ophthalmologists, and finally sent to the pain clinic for control of pain under the diagnosis of herpes zoster ophthalmicus. In spite of zealous treatment efforts, loss of vision, pain and infectious condition did not recover; and furthermore, due to severe infection, he had his eyeball extracted 100 days after the onset of diseases. 140 days after onset, contralateral hemiplegia accompanied the disease process. We present an unusual case of herpes zoster ophthalmicus with no treatment effect.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.110-116
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• 1995

The pain clinic at the Chonbuk National University Hospital opened in 1983. We analyzed 3,212 patients who visited the clinic during the 10 years from 1983 to 1993. The patients visited total of 11,628 times. The most frequent age group was in the fifties. About an half of the patients complained of low back pain, and the epidural block was most frequently given as a treatment. We need more personnels involving in pain management and more equipments in diagnosing and treating the patients with chronic pain. Understanding and cooperation among departments under the basis of closer interdepartmental relationship would be essential for the further development of the pain clinc.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.214-217
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• 2005

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was first attempted by Shearly et al for the relief of intractable pain. A spinal cord stimulator has traditionally been used for failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) angina pectoris, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and ischemic pain in the extremity. However, the complications associated with the use of a spinal cord stimulator, such as wound infection, hematoma, lead migration and device malfunction; make its long term application difficult. Here, our experience of an interesting case, in which intractable right leg pain was controlled using a spinal cord stimulator placed in the left epidural space, is reported, with a review of the literature.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.39-42
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• 1994

The purpose of this study was to review the results of the neurolytic trigeminal nerve block in 41 patients from April 1992 to March 1994. Most common site of trigeminal neuralgia was the second division(27 patients, 68.3%). Nineteen patients of these were treated with infraorbital nerve block. Another 4 patients had cerebello-pontine angle tumor close to TREZ in MRI findings therefore they were excluded from this study. Thirty nine patients (95.1%) remained free of pain. Only 2 patients treated with infraorbital nerve block experienced recurring pain. Although the follow-up period was short, alcohol blocks proved effective and safe for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.223-227
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• 2006

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is clinically characterized by pain, abnormal regulation of blood flow and sweating, edema of skin and subcutaneous tissues, sensory and motor disturbances, and trophic changes of the skin. A 21-year-old man was suffering from pain and swelling in his right hand and forearm. His arm had been in splints for 3 weeks following an extension injury of the right fingers and wrist, with the pain having developed 2 weeks after the splinting. He was treated with various nerve blocks including continuous epidural infusion, thoracic sympathetic block and peripheral nerve blocks, and squeezing his edematous region under general anesthesia as well as intravenous lidocaine and ketamine infusions. However, all of the performed treatments had no effect on the patient's pain or hand swelling. As a next line therapy, spinal cord stimulation should be considered because of intractable severe pain and swelling to almost all other modalities of therapy. We therefore performed an early intervention of spinal cord stimulation for the patient with refractory CRPS type I 5 months after the onset of pain and have got an excellent result.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2007

No definitive etiology or risk factors have been identified that predispose individuals to developing complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). We experienced two cases of CRPS developed after arterial and venous puncture which were done in regular medical work. A 35-years old female patient was suffered from pain and allodynia with swelling at right hand and wrist after radial artery puncture for monitoring of blood pressure during general anesthesia. A 24-years old male patient had pain and swelling with allodynia at the right fingers and arm after median cubital vein puncture for blood sampling. They did not have proper pain management as CRPS patients in the past weeks and months after their pain occurred. They were diagnosed as CRPS and started undergoing various interventional procedures, which led to improve their pain condition. Our cases suggest that CRPS could develop without any proved tissue damage in routine medical practice. In conclusion, health care workers should be educated in knowledge about the uncommon medical condition and proper consultation to pain specialist when it happens.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.229-232
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• 2008

Insufficiency fractures of the sacrum are relatively common and cause severe low back and buttock pain. Percutaneous vertebroplasty is effective for treating vertebral compression fractures. We present a case of percutaneous sacroplasty for the treatment of low back and buttock pain in a sacral insufficiency fracture. A 79-year-old male with non-small lung cancer presented with severe low back and buttock pain after series of radiation treatments. Preoperative MRI showed both a sacral ala and S2 metastatic insufficiency fracture. An epidural port was inserted for continuous morphine infusion and sacral nerve root blocks were performed. However, his pain did not diminish and we attempted percutaneous sacroplasty. Both sides of the sacroplasty were done with a fluoroscopy-guided technique with 1.7 ml and 2.3 ml of bone cement injected into the right and left sacral ala. Pain relief was significant and the patient was able to sit down 1 day after the procedure.