• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.245-248
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• 2001

Lysis of epidural adhesion has been done in patients with refractory lumbar radiculopathies. Cauda equina syndrome is a rare complication of epidural block. We report on a case of cauda equina syndrome following epidural adhesiolysis in a patient with spinal stenosis. The patient complained of numbness of the perineum, weakness of the left leg, an inability to void and fecal incontinence. She was treated with medication, bladder training and physical therapy, and finally recovered 1 month after the procedure without any sequelae. We suggest that the causative factors are osmotic damage produced by the subarachnoid injection of large doses of hypertonic saline and temporary neural compression due to spinal stenosis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 1975

Various factors influencing the lymph flow from thoracic duct were investigated in an attempt to evaluate their contributing degree and the mechanisms. Sixteen mongrel dogs weighing between 10 and 16 kg were anesthetized and polyethylene catheters were inserted into the thoracic duct and femoral veins. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, lymph pressure and lymph flow were measured under various conditions. Electrical stimulation of left sciatic nerve, stepwise increase of central venous pressure, manual application of rhythmical depressions onto abdomen, injection of hypertonic saline solution and histamine infusion were employed. Measurement of cental venous pressure was performed through the recording catheter inserted into abdominal inferior vena cava. Changes in central venous pressure were made by an air-ballooning catheter located higher than the tip of the recording catheter in the inferior vena cava. Lymph flow from thoracic duct was measured directly with a graduated centrifuge tube allowing the lymph to flow freely outward through the inserted cannula. The average side pressure of thoracic lymph was $1.1\;cmH_2O$ and lymph flow was 0.40 ml/min or 1.9 ml/kg-hr. Hemodynamic parameters including lymph flow were measure immediately before and after (or during) applying a condition. Stimulation of left sciatic nerve with a square wave (5/sec, 2 msec, 10V) caused the lymph flow to increase 1.4 times. The pattern of lymph flow from thoracic duct was not continuous throughout the respiratory cycle, but was continuous only during Inspiration. Slow and deep respiration appeared to increase the lymph flow than a rapid and shallow respiration. Relationship between central venous pressure and the lymph flow revealed a relatively direct proportionality; Regression equation was Lymph Flow (ml/kg-hr)=0.09 CVP$(cmH_2O)$+0.55, r=0.67. Manual depressions onto the abdomen in accordance with the respiratory cycle caused the lymph flow to increase most remarkably, e.g,. 5.5 times. The application of manual depressions showed a fluctuation of central venous pressure superimposed on the respiratory fluctuation. Hypertonic saline solution (2% NaCl) administered Intravenously by the amount of 10 m1/kg increased the lymph flow 4.6 times. The injection also increased arterial blood pressure, especially systolic Pressure, and the central venous pressure. Slow intravenous infusion of histamine with a rate of 14-32 ${\mu}g/min$ resulted in a remarkable increase in the lymph flow (4.7 times), in spite of much decrease in the blood pressure and a slight decrease in the central venous pressure.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.175-179
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• 2005

An 11-year-old girl with a history of two previous attacks of acute pancreatitis was admitted to another hospital. Her epigastrium was tender, and serum amylase was 657 IU/L and lipase 3131 IU/L. Abdominal computed tomography scan suggested necrosis of 30% of the pancreas. Retrograde endoscopic cholangiopancreatography showed a diverticulum covered by normal duodenal mucosa at the second portion of the duodenum, which was separated from the adjacent duodenal lumen by a radiolucent band at UGI series. The apex of the diverticulum was incised endoscopically using a needle knife papillotome. A follow-up endoscopy on the next day noticed bleeding from the incised edge of the diverticulum. Endoscopic hemostasis with hemoclipping and injection of hypertonic saline-epinephrine solution was not successful. The patient was transferred to Kyungpook National University Hospital, and open duodenotomy and excision of the diverticulum were performed. She has recovered well and remains asymptoatic.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 1997

Background: Epidural neural blockade with local anesthetics combined with steroids has been in clinical trials for patients with low back pain. But pain treatment of low back pain remains somewhat problematic. Many patients with low back pain have epidural fibrosis and adhesions proved with magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) examination. These findings might play an important role in the origin of back pain. Present study was aims to investigate the effect of epidural adhesiolysis in patients with low back pain. Methods: We investigated 76 patients suspected with epidural fibrosis and adhesion was suspected. Nerve pathology was demonstrated and epidural fibrosis suspected or proved with MRI examination. 17G needle specially designed by Racz was inserted at sacral hiatus and catheter was inserted untill its tip was located at lesion site under fluoroscopic guidance. Injection of contrast dye was achieved and prospected spread of agents. Injection of 0.25% bupivacaine, triamcinolone, and 10% hypertonic saline via catheter were carried out daily for 3 days. Evaluation included assessment of pain relief (Numerical Rating Scale; NRS) post-epidural adhesiolysis 3 days, 1 week, and 3 months. We also looked for complication of epidural adhesiolysis. Results: Statistical analysis(Friedman nonparametric repeated measures test and Dune's multiple comparison test) demonstrated NRS was significantly less during 3 months after epidural adhesiolysis(P<0.05). Especially, there is a extremely significance in post-epidural adhesiolysis 3 days (P<0.001). Only four patients reported any complications the most common symptom among three persistent headache but disappeared after a few months without residual sequelae. Conclusion: We conclude epidural adhesiolysis is a safe and effective method of pain therapy for low back pain with proven lumbo-sacral fibrosis and adhesion. A direct visualization by epiduroscopy may be more useful to the resulting functional changes after epidural adhesiolysis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 1988

Recent studios have shown that narcotic drags produce an unusually intense, prolonged and segmental analgesic action in man whoa injected into the spinal subarachnoid or epidural space (Wang et al, 1979; Behar et al, 1979; Cousins et al, 1979; Magora et a., 1980, Johnston and McCaughey, 1980). Since 1960, many investigators claimed that low molecular weight(LMW) dextran increased the clinical duration of lidocaine(Loder, 1960; Loder, 1962), tetracaine (Chinn and Wirjoatmadja, 1967) and bupivacaine(Kaplan et al, 1975) in man but the mechanism of the action of dextran was unclear. But Curtiss and Scurlock(1979), and Buckled and Fink(1979) claimed that LMW dextran has no effect on the duration of action of bupivacaine in animal studies. The present study was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of analgesia by the thoracic epidural injection of morphine and bupivacaine mixture for the relief of pain due to fractured or contused ribs, to evaluate the duration of analgesic effect by the use of the above mixture in a hypertonic solution(dextran 70 or 50% dextrose in water) and to observe the possibility of improvement in the lung function after the pain block. The complications following the pain block were also observed. The 50 single thoracic epidural injections of the mixture were divided into three groups : Group 1(n=15) served as a control group and drags used for the relief of pain were as follows(Mean$\pm$S.D.): morphine($2.13{\pm}1.64\;mg$), 0.5% bupivacaine($3.10{\pm}1.04\;ml$) and 0.9% saline($3.64{\pm}1.11\;ml$). Group 2(n=16) serves as an experimental group and drugs were as follows(Mean$\pm$S.D.): morphine($2.13{\pm}0.72\;mg$), 0.5% bupivacaine($3.06{\pm}0.77\;ml$) and dextran 70($3.75{\pm}1.29\;ml$). Group 3 (n=19) served as an experimental group and drags were as follows(Mean$\pm$S.D.) : morphine($2.42{\pm}0.51\;mg$), 0.5% bupivacaine($3.21{\pm}0.71\;ml$) and 50% dextrose in water($3.58{\pm}1.11\;ml$). The results are were follows: 1) The Dumber of patients who obtained excellent and good analgesic effects following the block were greater in the experimental Croup 2(94%) and Group 3 (90%) than theme of the control Group 1 (80%). 2) The duration of pain relief which lasted more than 3 days after the epidural block was longer in the experimental Group 2 (81%) and Group 3 (75%) than those of the control Croup 1(67%). 3) The pulmonary reserve(FVC%+FEV 1.0%) of 27 cases who were treated by the pain block between 1 and 31 drys following the chest injury was increased to about 13% than those before the block, and that of 13 cases between 32 and 82 days following the chest injury was decreased to about 4% than those before the block. 4) Of the complications following the pain block, there were 5 cased(10%) of nausea within 2 hours following the block, 4 cases(8%) of vomiting after 2 hours following the block, 10 cases(20%) of pruritus after 3~4 hours following the block, 17 cases(34%) of transient urinary retention which tasted 8 to 19 hours, 3 cases(6%) of headache within 2 hoers following the block and 2 cases(4%) of dural puncture. In conclusion, it is suggested that the clinical duration of analgesic effect produced by morphine and bupivacaine mixture can be prolonged by addition of the hypertonic solution to the mixture.