• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.119-123
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• 1998

It is well known that many patients with trigeminal neuralgia suffer from electric shock-like stabbing pains. The pain can be triggered by nonnoxious stimuli such as touching of the face, chewing, talking or swallowing. This 62 year old woman was urgently admitted to the internal medicine department due to abdominal distention and severe general weakness. She has suffered characteristic violent pain triggered by chewing and swallowing for little over 4 years. This resulted in poor oral feeding for prolonged period which left her severely debilitated. The large amount of ascites that developed 20 days before admission and extreme emaciation forced her to bed rest. She also suffered from Herpes Zoster. After medical treatment to improve liver function and severe pain was persisted, the patient was referred to our department for control of pain. We performed right mandibular block with 1% dibucaine 0.4 ml and the effect was excellent. After the pain had subsided, patient was able to take meals more comfortably and improved liver function returned.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.147-151
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• 2018

Disuse atrophy involves gradual muscle weakening due to inadequate usage and can cause temporomandibular disorder (TMD). A 45-year old man with TMD symptoms on the left side, who had disuse atrophy of the masticatory muscles on the right side following surgical removal of a trigeminal schwannoma on the right side, first visited the Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine at Kyung Hee University Dental Hospital with left jaw pain and difficulty in opening mouth and chewing. He had been experiencing difficulties in cognitive function, decrease in visual acuity, impaired speech, and writing deficits after brain surgery. Furthermore, he complained of abnormal occlusion on the right side, which interfered with his ability to chew comfortably and open his mouth effectively. Herein, we describe a contralateral TMD case due to ipsilateral disuse atrophy after brain surgery for a trigeminal schwannoma and our successful treatment with medication, physical therapy, and stabilization splint.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.403-408
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• 2020

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) involves chronic neuropathic pain, characterized by attacks of repeating short episodes of unilateral shock-like pain, which are abrupt in onset and termination. Anticonvulsants, such as carbamazepine, are the gold standard first-line drugs for pharmacological treatment. Microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery is often the course of action if pharmacological management with anticonvulsants is unsuccessful. MVD surgery is an effective therapy in approximately 83% of cases. However, persistent neuropathic pain after MVD surgery may require reintroduction of pharmacotherapy. This case report presents two patients with persistent pain after MVD requiring reintroduction of pharmacological therapy. Although MVD is successful for patients with failed pharmacological management, it is an invasive procedure and requires hospitalization of the patient. About one-third of patients suffer from recurrent TN after MVD. Often, alternative treatment protocols, including the reintroduction of medications, may be necessary to achieve improvement. This case report presents two cases of post-MVD recurrent pain. Further research is lacking on the success rates of subsequent medication therapy after MVD has proven less effective in managing TN.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.118-125
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• 2016

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with altered sensation and/or pain, and to determine outcome predictors affecting persistent neuropathy. Methods: Patients who complained an altered sensation or pain following trigeminal nerve trauma were involved in this study. To determine outcome predictors affecting persistent neuropathy, the patients were divided into two groups; transient vs. persistent, and the clinical phenotypes are compared between groups. Data were analyzed with t-tests, chi-square, and multiple regression analyses with 95% confidence interval and p<0.05 significance level. Results: A total of 111 patients were included: 23 with transient and 88 persistent groups. The panoramic result and pin-prick test score were statistically different between the groups. Radiating symptoms after blunt and pinprick stimuli were also significantly different between groups. The results revealed that the presence of a neurologic lesion in the panoramic view result, reduced sensation in the pinprick test, and radiation in the pinprick test could affect the persistent group. Conclusions: The presence of a neurologic lesion in panoramic view result and reduced sensation and radiating symptoms in the pin prick test would be defining features of one of the main clinical features of persistent neuropathy. These features could serve as outcome predictors diagnosing the permanent nerve injury in trigeminal nerve.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.449-453
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• 2007

Trigeminal neuralgia is defined as "a sudden, usually unilateral, brief stabbing recurrent pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the fifth cranial nerve" by the International Association for the Study of Pain(IASP). Trigeminal neuralgia is classified as an idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia with no apparent cause and a symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia which is caused by a structural lesion such as brain tumor. Over 80% of the tumors are meningioma, acoustic neuroma, and epidermoid tumors. Symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia can not be excluded even if old-aged patient does not have abnormal neurologic sign and symptom, and good response to pharmacotherapy. Therefore, initial examinations such as MRI or CT are essential to exclude symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia. When compared with CT, MRI, especially gadolinium enhanced MRI, has an increased sensitivity in the detection of intracranial lesions. The most effective medical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia is carbamazepine. The most common side effects of carbamazepine include drowsiness, dizziness, unsteadiness, nausea, anorexia. Hepatotoxicity, bone marrow depression are the most feared side effect of carbamazepine therapy but occurs rarely. It require periodic complete blood cell counts as well as hepatic and renal function tests. It has been recommended that complete blood cell counts is done every 2 weeks for the first 2months and then quaterly thereafter. Oxcarbazepine can be used if neutropenia occurs.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.121-130
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean medical treatment on a patient with trigeminal neuralgia during pregnancy. Methods: We treated a facial pain patient diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia during pregnancy with acupuncture, cupping and herbal medicines. Herbal medicines were prescribed according to the patient's Sasang constitution which was Soeumin. The severity of symptom was evaluated by Numeric Rating System (NRS). Results: After treatment, the patient's facial pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia was improved. NRS score was decreased from 6 to 0. Conclusions: This case report shows that traditional Korean medical treatment and Sasang constitution medicine is effective for the patient with trigeminal neuralgia during pregnancy.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.315-323
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• 1999

The 63 patients(20 males, 43 females) were treated for their trigeminal neuralgia at the Department. of Oral Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital from 1993 to 1998. All the patients were treated for their trigeminal neuralgia by conservative methods such as medication, and Electric Acupuncture Stimulation Therapy The obtained results were as follows: 1. Trigeminal neuralgia was mainly involved in the patients of past forties, women and acute group. 2. 50.8% of patients were related to maxillary branches of trigeminal nerves. The trigger points were on gingivae, cheeks, teeth, lips in order. 3. 55.6% of patients with trigeminal neuralgia had systemic diseases and 39.7% were related to dental practices. 4. Success rate of the treatments was 71.4% and the recurrence rate was 26.3%. 5. The refractory factors in improving symptoms were chronic history, involvement of complex branches, and experience of prosthodontic treatments.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.302-306
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• 1998

The authors report the result achieved in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia patient, especially V2 involved patient, using radiofrequency (RF) thermocoagulation of Gasserian ganglion. A 62-year old female patient had severe burning pain on right cheek usually initiating from upper molar teeth area for 10 years. She was treated with microvascular decompression operation 10 years ago. However, there was no pain relief by operation. She wanted non-surgical treatment. Therefore, we recommended RF thermocoagulation therapy. After 2 times of RF thermocoagulation, there was excellent pain relief without complications. And, for 6months follow-up, there were no pain, and no evidences of complication and recurrence.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.243-250
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• 2007

Trigeminal neuralgia is nerve systematic disease appearing in the distribution scope of trigeminal nerve. It's characterized by extreme pain accompanying with a repeated and simultaneous fit from several seconds to 1-2 minutes. The oriental medical name of trigeminal neuralgia is generally Dootong, Doopoong, Myuntong, Pyundootong, Pyundoopoong, and Myuntong is the nearest in Occidental medicine. So I study for general prescription of Trigeminal neuralgia and point out Galgunhaegui-tang(葛根解肌湯). Trigeminal neuralgia patients were given Galgunhaegui-tang. After taking Galgunhaegui-tang, the patients's Trigeminal neuralgia was improved.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.241-244
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• 2009

Retrobulbar hematoma can arise from orbital trauma and periorbital or intraorbital procedures, and it can result in several morbidities including vision loss. Making the immediate diagnosis and performing decompression of the retrobulbar hematoma are crucial for preventing serious morbidities such as permanent vision loss. We present here a case of temporary vision loss that was due to iatrogenic retrobulbar hematoma in a patient who received infraorbital nerve block for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. A 70-year-old woman with trigeminal neuralgia was treated with infraorbital nerve block. Just after the procedure she experienced acute periorbital swelling, proptosis and worsening visual acuity. Immediate orbital computed tomography was done, and this revealed a retrobulbar hematoma. The patient underwent lateral canthotomy with cantholysis and administration of dexamethasone and mannitol. Improvement of visual acuity began 3 hours after these procedures. Her visual acuity was greatly improved 12 days after admission.