Intractable Pain Management of Lung Cancer Involving in Both Brachial Plexuses

양측 상박 신경총 침범으로 불인성 통증을 동반한 폐암환자의 통증치료 경험

Severe intractable pain with paresthesia and severe dyspnea produced by lung cancer involving both brachial plexuses, refractory to ordinary pharmacologic approaches, was managed by epidural morphine and bupivacaine administration with the continuous Baxter infusion system. Chest pain, which is somatic pain in character, was well managed with the epidural morphine and bupivacaine administrations. However paresthesia and tingling sensation of the hand and forearm were poorly controlled by epidural morphine, and were finally managed by bolus epidural injections of bupivacaine. Supportive therapy included epidural steroid injection and TENS, but the effect was not satisfactory. Severe dyspnea seemed to aggrevate cancer related pain.