• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2011

Occipital neuralgia is usually defined as paroxysmal stabbing pain in the greater or lesser occipital nerve (GON or LON) distribution. In occipital neuralgia patients, surgical considerations are carefully taken into account if medical management is ineffective. However, identification of the occipital artery by palpation in patients with thick necks or small occipital arteries can be technically difficult. Therefore, we established a new technique using transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography for more accurate and rapid identification. The patient was a 64-year-old man who had undergone C1-C3 screw fixation and presented with intractable stabbing pain in the bilateral GON and LON distributions. In cases in which pain management was performed using medication, physical therapy, nerve block, or radiofrequency thermocoagulation, substantial pain relief was not consistently achieved, and recurrence of pain was reported. Therefore, we performed occipital neurectomy of the bilateral GON and LON by using TCD sonography, which helped detect the greater occipital artery easily. After the operation, the patient’s headache disappeared gradually, although he had discontinued all medication except antidepressants. We believe that this new technique of occipital neurectomy via a small skin incision performed using TCD sonography is easy and reliable, has a short operative time, and provides rapid pain relief.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.200-204
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• 2014

Objective : To evaluate the incidence of postsurgical sensory complications in patients with scalp masses and classify the locations of them from a surgical standpoint according to anatomical considerations. Methods : A total of 121 patients who underwent surgery for scalp mass were included in this study. The authors reviewed medical records and preoperative radiologic images. We investigated the complications related to sensory changes after procedure. Enrolled patients have been divided into three groups. Group A included patients with tumors above the superior nuchal line (SNL), Group B with tumors within the trapezius muscle area and patients who had tumors on the lateral trapezius muscle area were assigned to Group C. We compared the incidence related to postoperative sensory complications and summarized their additional treatments for these with clinical outcome. Results : There were 12 patients (10%) with sensory complications related on the mass excision site (Group A : 1 patient, Group B : 2 patients, Group C : 9 patients). Six patients were affected with lesser occipital nerve (LON), 2 patients on greater occipital nerve (GON) and 4 patients on GON and LON. Over 6 months after surgery, two of the twelve patients with sensory complications did not have complete recovered pain in spite of proper medications and local chemical neurolysis with 1.0% lidocaine and dexamethasone. Conclusion : Occipital neuropathy should be considered as a complication related excision of scalp mass. The sensory complications are more frequent in Group C because of the anatomical characteristics of the occipital nerves and there were no statistical difference for other variables.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.261-265
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• 2017

Periauricular paresthesia may afflict patients for a significant amount of time after facelift surgery. When performing face and neck lift surgery, temple and posterior auricular flap dissection is undertaken directly over the auriculotemporal, great auricular, and lesser occipital nerve territory, leading to potential damage to the nerve. The auriculotemporal nerve remains under the thin outer superficial fascia just below the subfollicular level in the prehelical area. To prevent damage to the auriculotemporal nerve and to protect the temporal hair follicle, the dissection plane should be kept just above the thin fascia covering the auriculotemporal nerve. Around the McKinney point, the adipose tissue covering the deep fascia is apt to be elevated from the deep fascia due to its denser fascial relationship with the skin, which leaves the great auricular nerve open to exposure. In order to prevent damage to the posterior branches of the great auricular nerve, the skin flap at the posterior auricular sulcus should be elevated above the auricularis posterior muscle. Fixating the superficial muscular aponeurotic system flap deeper and higher to the tympano-parotid fascia is recommended in order to avoid compromising the lobular branch of the great auricular nerve. The lesser occipital nerve (C2, C3) travels superficially at a proximal and variable level that makes it vulnerable to compromise in the mastoid dissection. Leaving the adipose tissue at the level of the deep fascia puts the branches of the great auricular nerve and lesser occipital nerve at less risk, and has been confirmed not to compromise either tissue perfusion or hair follicles.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.281-285
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• 2012

Objective : Occipital neuralgia is characterized by paroxysmal jabbing pain in the dermatomes of the greater or lesser occipital nerves caused by irritation of these nerves. Although several therapies have been reported, they have only temporary therapeutic effects. We report the results of pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the occipital nerve, which was used to treat occipital neuralgia. Methods : Patients were diagnosed with occipital neuralgia according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders classification criteria. We performed pulsed radiofrequency neuromodulation when patients presented with clinical findings suggestive occipital neuralgia with positive diagnostic block of the occipital nerves with local anesthetics. Patients were analyzed according to age, duration of symptoms, surgical results, complications and recurrence. Pain was measured every month after the procedure using the visual analog and total pain indexes. Results : From 2010, ten patients were included in the study. The mean age was 52 years (34-70 years). The mean follow-up period was 7.5 months (6-10 months). Mean Visual Analog Scale and mean total pain index scores declined by 6.1 units and 192.1 units, respectively, during the follow-up period. No complications were reported. Conclusion : Pulsed radiofrequency neuromodulation of the occipital nerve is an effective treatment for occipital neuralgia. Further controlled prospective studies are necessary to evaluate the exact effects and long-term outcomes of this treatment method.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.82-87
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• 2010

Occipital neuralgia is a form of headache that involves the posterior occiput in the greater or lesser occipital nerve distribution. Pain can be severe and persistent with conservative treatment. We present a case of intractable occipital neuralgia that conventional therapeutic modalities failed to ameliorate. We speculate that, in this case, the cause of headache could be the greater occipital nerve entrapment by the obliquus capitis inferior muscle. After steroid and local anesthetic injection into obliquus capitis inferior muscles under fluoroscopic and sonographic guidance, the visual analogue scale was decreased from 9-10/10 to 1-2/10 for 2-3 weeks. The patient eventually got both greater occipital neurectomy and partial resection of obliquus capitis inferior muscles due to the short term effect of the injection. The successful steroid and local anesthetic injection for this occipital neuralgia shows that the refractory headache was caused by entrapment of greater occipital nerves by obliquus capitis inferior muscles.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.57-64
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• 2004

This study was carried to identify the component of Small Intestine Meridian Muscle in human, dividing the regional muscle group into outer, middle, and inner layer. the inner part of body surface were opened widely to demonstrate muscles, nerve, blood vessels and the others, displaying the inner structure of Small Intestine Meridian Muscle. We obtained the results as follows; 1. Small Intestine 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 ; Abd. digiti minimi muscle(SI-2, 3, 4), pisometacarpal lig.(SI-4), ext. retinaculum. ext. carpi ulnaris m. tendon.(SI-5, 6), ulnar collateral lig.(SI-5), ext. digiti minimi m. tendon(SI-6), ext. carpi ulnaris(SI-7), triceps brachii(SI-9), teres major(SI-9), deltoid(SI-10), infraspinatus(SI-10, 11), trapezius(Sl-12, 13, 14, 15), supraspinatus(SI-12, 13), lesser rhomboid(SI-14), erector spinae(SI-14, 15), levator scapular(SI-15), sternocleidomastoid(SI-16, 17), splenius capitis(SI-16), semispinalis capitis(SI-16), digasuicus(SI-17), zygomaticus major(Il-18), masseter(SI-18), auriculoris anterior(SI-19) 2) Nerve ; Dorsal branch of ulnar nerve(SI-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), br. of mod. antebrachial cutaneous n.(SI-6, 7), br. of post. antebrachial cutaneous n.(SI-6,7), br. of radial n.(SI-7), ulnar n.(SI-8), br. of axillary n.(SI-9), radial n.(SI-9), subscapular n. br.(SI-9), cutaneous n. br. from C7, 8(SI-10, 14), suprascapular n.(SI-10, 11, 12, 13), intercostal n. br. from T2(SI-11), lat. supraclavicular n. br.(SI-12), intercostal n. br. from C8, T1(SI-12), accessory n. br.(SI-12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17), intercostal n. br. from T1,2(SI-13), dorsal scapular n.(SI-14, 15), cutaneous n. br. from C6, C7(SI-15), transverse cervical n.(SI-16), lesser occipital n. & great auricular n. from cervical plexus(SI-16), cervical n. from C2,3(SI-16), fascial n. br.(SI-17), great auricular n. br.(SI-17), cervical n. br. from C2(SI-17), vagus n.(SI-17),hypoglossal n.(SI-17), glossopharyngeal n.(SI-17), sympathetic trunk(SI-17), zygomatic br. of fascial n.(SI-18), maxillary n. br.(SI-18), auriculotemporal n.(SI-19), temporal br. of fascial n.(SI-19) 3) Blood vessels ; Dorsal digital vein.(SI-1), dorsal br. of proper palmar digital artery(SI-1), br. of dorsal metacarpal a. & v.(SI-2, 3, 4), dorsal carpal br. of ulnar a.(SI-4, 5), post. interosseous a. br.(SI-6,7), post. ulnar recurrent a.(SI-8), circuirflex scapular a.(SI-9, 11) , post. circumflex humeral a. br.(SI-10), suprascapular a.(SI-10, 11, 12, 13), first intercostal a. br.(SI-12, 14), transverse cervical a. br.(SI-12,13,14,15), second intercostal a. br.(SI-13), dorsal scapular a. br.(SI-13, 14, 15), ext. jugular v.(SI-16, 17), occipital a. br.(SI-16), Ext. jugular v. br.(SI-17), post. auricular a.(SI-17), int. jugular v.(SI-17), int. carotid a.(SI-17), transverse fascial a. & v.(SI-18),maxillary a. br.(SI-18), superficial temporal a. & v.(SI-19).