• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 1978

Recently, we experienced a case of rare neurilemmoma originated from intercostal nerve [9th] in the right chest wall in a 25 year old male officer. The tumor was incidentally found in the routine chest X ray, where the round well circumscribed mass tumor the ninth rib with notching and sclerotic margin, suggesting slowly growing benign benign of chest wall was revealed and the tumor mass was easily extirpated in the exploratory thoracotomy, with uneventful recovery. Grossly, the tumor was firm, partly soft and well circumscribed, measuring 4.5X3.0X 3.0 cm with yellowish smooth outer surface, attached with intercostal nerve trunk. Cut surface exhibits partly grayish white and largely hemorrhagic areas. Microscopically, the characteristic palisading arrangement of schwann cells and Verocay bodies are seen but dominant features are cystic degeneration and hemorrhage with organization and fibrosis. The sheath of intercostal nerve and capsule of neurilemmoma were con joined. There is no evidence of malignancy. The tumor was confirmed as neurilemmoma of intercostal nerve, Antony type B.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.781-786
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• 1993

Effrctive analgesia after elective thoracotomy can be provided by continuous extrapleural intercostal nerve block.This study was designed to prove the effectiveness of continuous extrapleural intercostal nerve block. Twenty patients undergoing elective thoracotomy were randomized into two groups. Group I received lumbar epidural block[N=10] and group II received continuous extrapleural intercostal nerve block[N=10]. Postoperative pain relief was assessed on Numeric Rating Scale[NRS] and recovery of pulmonary function was assessed by coparison of preoperatrive and postoperative FVC[Forced Vital Capacity], FEV1[Forced expiratory Volume in 1 second], VC[Vital Capacity]. Arterial blood gas analysis[ABGA], vital signs and amount of additive analgesics were compared also. No significant difference was observed between the groups concerning these parameters mentioned above. Systemic complications, such as urinary retention[2/10] and weakness of lower extremity[2/10], occurred in group I but no complication occurred in group II. We conclude that continuous extrapleural intercostal nerve block is as effective as epidural block in pain relief and restoration of pulmonary mechanics with fewer comlications. Also because of it`s ease and safetiness, this must be considered as a substitute of epidural block in routine use for thoracotomy pain relief.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.135-139
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• 1996

Intercostal nerve blockade with local anesthetics has been used extensively in the past to provide pain relief following thoracotomy. Its popularity fell, for a period, probably due to increasing use of epidural analgesia. More recently, interest has focused on intercostal nerve block with the introduction of variously sited catheters. Two epidural catheters were placed under direct vision, in the intercostal spaces just above and below the wound by feeding the catheters posteriorly from the wound edges, superficial to the parietal pleura. Bupivacaine 0.25%. Was infused continuously at a rate of 5 ml/hour through each of the two intercostal catheters. Each catheter was primed with 10 ml/hour through each of the two intercostal catheters. Each catheter was primed with 10 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. Postoperative vital signs resembled preoperation data. Arterial carbon dioxide pressure ($PaCO_2$) was unchanged and arterial oxygen pressure ($PaO_2$) was increased during two days after surgery because oxygen was administered at 21/min. Forced vital capacities (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second ($FEV_1$) were decreased the day of operation but restored to preoperative value from second operation day. VAS were increased on operation day but decreased from second operation day. Motion range of arms were not impaired. We concluded that continuous intercostal nerve block through catheters placed during thoracotomy in the adjacent intercostal spaces is a simple and effective method for management of the post-thoracotomy pain.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.942-947
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• 1994

Post-thoracotomy pain is so severe that lead to postoperative pulmonary complications due to the patient`s inability to cough, deep breathing and chest wall motion. Many authors have been trying to reduce the post-thoracotomy pain, but there is no method of complete satisfaction. In 1990, we reported the result that the cryoanalgesia reduce the immediate postoperative pain significantly. We try to compare the effect of cyroanalgesia with the effect of Bupivacain intercostal nerve block for the post-thoracotomy pain control. Ninety patients, who undergoing thoracotomy in Korea University Medical Center Guro Hospital between the January 1993 and September 1993, were evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups : Group A, control, the patients without pain control procedure [N=30], Group B, the patients with Bupivacain intercostal nerve block [N=30], Group C, the patients with cryoanalgesia [N=30]. Postoperative analgesic effects were evaluated by the scoring system which made arbiturary by author. The results were that the Bupivacain intercostal nerve block markedly reduced the immediate postoperative pain compare with two other groups, the cryoanalgesia reduced the immediate postoperative pain significantly compare with control group, the pain reduction effect of the two groups- cryoanalgesia and Bupivacain intercostal nerve block- were not different at postoperative seventh day, probably due to the action time of Bupivacain and the result that there were no significant complications of the procedures.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.269-272
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• 1992

We experienced a case of pleural effusion while treating postherpetic neuralgia in a 70 year old male patient. The patient had scar and color change on the skin along the course of the right Th4-5 intercostal nerve, characteristics of healed herpes zoster. The patient also complained of severe pain along the lesion site which made sleeping difficult. He had been treated with; epidural blocks with or without catheterization; epidural or regional corticosteroids; multiple intraspinal and intercostal blocks with local anesthetic; or neurolytic, alcohol, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, etc., for about six months by the time of pleural effusion development. We came to the conclusion that the effusion was due to pleural irritation by multiple intercostal nerve blocks, because it was bloody and developed on the affected right side, although the patient had a history of a certain hepatic pathology and pulmonary tuberculosis which may be a predisposing factor to the effusion.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.106-111
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• 2008

Background: Chronic pain after thoracotomy has been recently reproduced in a rat model that allows investigating the effect of potentially beneficial drugs that might reduce the incidence of allodynia or alleviate pain. Local anesthetics produce antinociception in normal animals and alleviate mechanical allodynia in animals with nerve injury although their mechanisms of action may differ in these situations. Our purpose of this study was to test whether the preoperative intercostal nerve block of bupivacaine could prevent the development of allodynia in a rat model of chronic postthoracotomy pain. Methods: All male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and the right 4th and 5th ribs were exposed surgically. The pleura were opened between the ribs to which a retractor was placed and was opened 10 mm in width. Retraction was maintained for one hour. Total 1 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine was injected at the intercostal nerves before (n = 17) or after (n = 16) surgery. A control group (n = 25) that underwent rib retraction did not receive any drug. Rats were tested for mechanical allodynia using calibrated von Frey filaments applied around the incision site during the three weeks following surgery. Results: The incidence of development of mechanical allodynia in the group that received intercostal injection with bupivacaine before surgery was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative intercostal nerves block around the surgical incision before thoracotomy may decrease the incidence of postthoracotomy pain syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.148-152
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• 2015

The goal of cancer treatment is generally pain reduction and function recovery. However, drug therapy does not treat pain adequately in approximately 43% of patients, and the latter may have to undergo a nerve block or neurolysis. In the case reported here, a 42-year-old female patient with lung cancer (adenocarcinoma) developed paraplegia after receiving T8-10 and $11^{th}$ intercostal nerve neurolysis and T9-10 interlaminar epidural steroid injections. An MRI results revealed extensive swelling of the spinal cord between the T4 spinal cord and conus medullaris, and T5, 7-11, and L1 bone metastasis. Although steroid therapy was administered, the paraplegia did not improve.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.65-75
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• 2003

This study was carried to identify the component of Spleen Meridian Muscle in human, dividing into outer, middle, and inner part. Lower extremity and trunk were opened widely to demonstrate muscles, nerve, blood vessels and the others, displaying the inner structure of Spleen Meridian Muscle. We obtained the results as follows; 1. Spleen Meridian Muscle is composed of the muscle, nerve and blood vessels. 2. In human anatomy, it is present the difference between a term of nerve or blood vessels which control the muscle of Meridian Muscle and those which pass near by Meridian Muscle. 3. The inner composition of meridian muscle in human arm is as follows ; 1) Muscle; ext. hallucis longus tend., flex. hallucis longus tend.(Sp-1), abd. hallucis tend., flex. hallucis brevis tend., flex. hallucis longus tend.(Sp-2, 3), ant. tibial m. tend., abd. hallucis, flex. hallucis longus tend.(Sp-4), flex. retinaculum, ant. tibiotalar lig.(Sp-5), flex. digitorum longus m., tibialis post. m.(Sp-6), soleus m., flex. digitorum longus m., tibialis post. m.(Sp-7, 8), gastrocnemius m., soleus m.(Sp-9), vastus medialis m.(Sp-10), sartorius m., vastus medialis m., add. longus m.(Sp-11), inguinal lig., iliopsoas m.(Sp-12), ext. abdominal oblique m. aponeurosis, int. abd. ob. m., transversus abd. m.(Sp-13, 14, 15, 16), ant. serratus m., intercostalis m.(Sp-17), pectoralis major m., pectoralis minor m., intercostalis m.(Sp-18, 19, 20), ant. serratus m., intercostalis m.(Sp-21) 2) Nerve; deep peroneal n. br.(Sp-1), med. plantar br. of post. tibial n.(Sp-2, 3, 4), saphenous n., deep peroneal n. br.(Sp-5), sural cutan. n., tibial. n.(Sp-6, 7, 8), tibial. n.(Sp-9), saphenous br. of femoral n.(Sp-10, 11), femoral n.(Sp-12), subcostal n. cut. br., iliohypogastric n., genitofemoral. n.(Sp-13), 11th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-14), 10th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-15), long thoracic n. br., 8th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-16), long thoracic n. br., 5th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-17), long thoracic n. br., 4th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-18), long thoracic n. br., 3th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-19), long thoracic n. br., 2th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-20), long thoracic n. br., 6th. intercostal n. and its cut. br.(Sp-21) 3) Blood vessels; digital a. br. of dorsalis pedis a., post. tibial a. br.(Sp-1), med. plantar br. of post. tibial a.(Sp-2, 3, 4), saphenous vein, Ant. Med. malleolar a.(Sp-5), small saphenous v. br., post. tibial a.(Sp-6, 7), small saphenous v. br., post. tibial a., peroneal a.(Sp-8), post. tibial a.(Sp-9), long saphenose v. br., saphenous br. of femoral a.(Sp-10), deep femoral a. br.(Sp-11), femoral a.(Sp-12), supf. thoracoepigastric v., musculophrenic a.(Sp-16), thoracoepigastric v., lat. thoracic a. and v., 5th epigastric v., deep circumflex iliac a.(Sp-13, 14), supf. epigastric v., subcostal a., lumbar a.(Sp-15), intercostal a. v.(Sp-17), lat. thoracic a. and v., 4th intercostal a. v.(Sp-18), lat. thoracic a. and v., 3th intercostal a. v., axillary v. br.(Sp-19), lat. thoracic a. and v., 2th intercostal a. v., axillary v. br.(Sp-20), thoracoepigastric v., subscapular a. br., 6th intercostal a. v.(Sp-21)

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.96-98
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• 2009

Twelfth rib syndrome is thought to be due to intercostal nerve irritation by a mobile twelfth rib, and presents with upper abdominal pain, or low thoracic pain. This syndrome appears to be a fairly common entity and diagnosis is based on clinical findings. Patients with twelfth rib syndrome can be misdiagnosed when it has been overlooked. We report a case of a 34-year-old male along with a presentation of twelfth rib syndrome. One patient was transferred from urologic clinic to pain clinic due to right flank pain and admitted. The patient had direct tenderness on twelfth rib area and direct tenderness was reproducible. Pain increased when the patient flexed laterally, rotated trunk. There were no specific abnormal findings in laboratory test, electrocardiogram, and radiologic examination. After intercostal nerve block and epidural block, pain decreased and the patient was discharged.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 1997

Complete denervation after severe brachial plexus injury make significant muscle atrophy with loss of proper function. It is much helpful to reconstruct the essential function of the elbow flexion movement in patient with total loss of elbow flexion motion after brachial plexus lesion which was not recovered with nerve surgery or long term conservative treatment from onset. In whole arm type brachial plexus injury, if there were no response to neurotization or neglected from injury, the volume of the denervated muscle is significantely reduced month by month. About 18 months most of the muscle fibers change to fibrous tissues and markedly atrophied irreversibly, further waiting is no more meaningful from that period. Authors performed 14 cases of functioning gracilis muscle transfer from 1981 to 1995 with microneurovascular technique, neuromusculocutaneous free flaps were performed for reconstruction of lost elbow flexion function. Average follow-up period was 5 years and 6 months. We used couple of intercostal nerves as a recipient nerve which were anastomosed to muscular nerve from obturator nerve in all cases. Recipient vessels were three deep brachial artery and eleven brachial artery which were anastomosed to medial femoral circumflex artery with end to end or end to side fashion. Average resting length of the transplanted gracilis were 24 cm. We can get average 54 degree flexion range of elbow with fair muscle power from flail elbow. There were one case of muscle necrosis with lately developed thrombosis of microvascular anastomosed site which comes from insufficient recipient arterial condition, 3 cases of partial marginal necrosis of distal skin of the transplanted part which were not significant problem with spontaneously solved with time goes by gracilis muscle has constant neurovascular pattern with relatively easy harvesting donor with minimal donor morbidity. Especially it has similar length and shape with biceps brachii muscle of upper arm and longer nerve pedicle which can neurorrhaphy with intercostal nerve without nerve graft if sufficient mobilization of the nerves from both sides of gracilis and intercostal region. Authors can propose gracilis muscle transplantation with intercostal nerves neurotization is helpful method with minimal donor morbidity for neglected brachial plexus palsy patients.