• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.231-234
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• 1997

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the precise spreading pattern of contrast media in small increments in rabbits. Following pentobarbital anesthesia, the epidural puncture was done surgically with a blunt hook. Methods: The tip of epidural catheter was located at the mid-portion of T7 and T12, in the T7 group (n=7) and T12 group (n=8), respectively. Injection of the contrast media was started at 0.1 mL/kg and increased by 0.1 mL/kg up to a maximum of 0.6, mL/kg, under fluoroscopy. Results: In both groups, the extent of spread increased continuously as a Starling resistor with increasing injected volume(T7 group: $y=4.0+41.8x-28.1x^2$, T12 group: $y=0.2+57.7x-43.5x^2$) the total spread of contrast media was similar. The contrast media spread equally, both rostral and caudal, from catheter tip in T7 group; media spread approximately twice as far rostral as compared to caudal in T12 group (P<0.05). Conclusions: In rabbits, the position of epidural catheter tip should be positioned 2~3 segments below the aimed segment in lower thoracic or lumbar region, whereas in mid-thoracic region it should be positioned close to the level of aimed segment. Rabbits have relatively small epidural space therefore, the volume of injectant should be carefully determined with the suggested equations of this study.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.163-167
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• 2001

Objective : Percutaneous vertebroplasty has recently been introduced as an interesting therapeutic alternative for the treatment of thoracolumbar vertebral body fractures in elderly persons with osteoporosis. The authors present the early results of this method. Method and Material : From July 1999 to April 2000, percutaneous transpedicular technique was used in 20 patients (2 men and 18 women) whose mean age was 67.5 years old(range 59-79) with painful vertebral compression(22) and burst(2) fractures. The interval between fracture and vertebroplasty ranged 1 day to 4 months. The procedure involved percutaneous puncture of the injured vertebra via transpedicular approach under fluoroscopic guidance, followed by injection of polymethylmetacrylate(PMMA) into the vertebral body through a disposable 11-guage Jamshidi needle. Result : The most common cause of fracture was slip down and the most frequent injured level was the twelfth thoracic spine. The procedure was technically successful bilaterally in 18 patients(9 thoracic and 15 lumbar spines) with an average injection amount of 7.7ml PMMA in each level. Seventeen(94.4%) patients reported significant pain relief immediately after treatment. Two leaks of PMMA were detected with postoperative CT in spinal epidural space and extravertebral soft tissue without clinical symptoms. Conclusion : Although this study represents the early results, percutaneous vertebroplasty seems to be valuable tool in the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral body fractures in elderly, providing acute pain relief and early mobilization.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.235-243
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• 1995

A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the effects, and side effects, of epidural analgesia for postoperative pain relief of 2,381 surgical patients who received general-epidural, or epidural anesthesia only. Anesthesia records, patients charts, and pain control records were reviewed and classified according to: age, sex, body weight, department, operation site, epidural puncture site, degree of pain relief by injection mode & epidural injectate, and side effects(including nausea, vomiting, pruritus, urinary retention and respiratory depression). The results were as follows: 1) From the total of 2,381 patients, there were 1,563(66%) female patients; 1.032(43%) patients were from Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2) Lower abdomen, thorax, lower extremity and upper abdomen in the operation site; and lumbar, upper, lower thoracic in puncture site were order of decreasing frequency. Length of epidural injection for pain relief averaged $1.72{\pm}1.02$ days. 3) Ninety three percent of the patients experienced mild or no pain in the postoperative course. Analgesic quality was not affected by the kind of epidural injectate. 4) Nausea occurred in 3.2% of all patients, vomiting in 1.1%, pruritus 0.9%, urinary retention 0.6%, respiratory depression 0.08%. 5) Frequency of nausea was higher with female patients compared to male patients(p<0.05). 6) Pruritus frequency was higher with male patients than female patients(p<0.05); and more frequent with patients who received epidural injection with morphine than patients who received epidural injection without morphine(p<0.01). 7) Urinary retention was higher in female patients, and more frequent with patients who had received epidural injection with morphine than epidural injection without morphine(p<0.05). 8) There were two cases of respiratory depression. The course of treatment consisted of: cessation of epidural infusion, then administration of oxygen and intravenous naloxone. We conclude that postoperative epidural analgesia with a combination of local anesthetics and opiate is and effective method for postoperative pain relief with low incidence of side effects. However, patients should be carefully evaluated as rare but severe complications of respiratory depression may ensue.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.451-455
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• 2001

Objectives : There have been several studies documenting the changing level of the conus throughout infancy and childhood, but there is only a little detailed study that documents the range of conus positions in a living adult population, especially in Korean, without spinal deformity. Methods : we made a sequential study of magnetic resonance images of the lumbar spine to determine the variation in position of the conus medullaris in 650 living korean adults population without spinal deformity who checked MRI to identify the cause of low back pain. The study population consisted of patients over the age of 16 years. A T1-weighted, midline, sagittal image was reviewed for identifying the postion of conus. This location was recorded in relation to the upper, middle, or lower third of the adjacent vertebral body or the adjacent intervertebral disc. Results : The study group consisted of 305 men(47%) and 345 women(53%) with a mean age 45.9 years(range, 16-79 years). The conus existed commonly at the middle third of L1(131cases, 20.2%), at the L1-2 intervertebral space(129cases, 19.8%), and the lower third of L1(123cases, 18.9%). The mean position of conus was the lower third of L1(range, middle third of T12 to middle third of L3). Conclusions : The mean position of conus was at the lower third of L1(range, middle third of T12 to middle third of L3). This results was same as that of foreign study. Our results of living korean adult population could allow for safe clinical procedures such as lumbar puncture, spinal anesthesia, and help to explain the differences among observed neurologic injuries from fracture-dislocation at the thoracolumbar junction.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.47-52
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• 1988

Since 1979 forty-three cancer patients have been given intrathecal block at the pain clinic of Yonsei Medical Center. The male patients numbered 23 and female 20 and most of them were in the 4th and 5th decades of age. In 78.6% of the patients, the diagnosis was rectal cancer in 20 cases, cervix cancer in 7 cases, bladder cancer in 4 cases and colon cancer in 3 cases. Thirty six patients with cancer pain were treated by intrathecal 10% phenol-glycerine block and rest of them had only test block. Fourteen patients whose pain sites were lumbar or lumbar and upper sacral dermatomes were put into the lateral recumbent position on the fluoroscopic table. The spinal puncture was performed as close to the spinal roots to be impregnated as possible. In 22 patients the pain sites were covered by the sacral dermatomes and so the L5-S1 interspace was punctured in the sitting position shifted 15 degree to the affected site. Fifty one blocks were performed and their results are classified into three categories: good, fair antral poor. We achieved good results in 38 patients(77.1%), fair in 6 patients(17.1%) and poor in 2 patient(5.7%). Thus a satisfactory pain relief was achieved in 94.2% of patients. After intrathecal block with phenol glycerine, transient voiding difficulty was noted in 7, defecation difficulty in 1, and transient paresthesia and/or muscle weakness was present in 3 patients. The mean duration of pain relief was 2.5 months and longer than the mean survival time of 2.25 months. When patients are selected carefully and tile block is performed with great caution and good technique, the risk is minimal and a long lasting relief of intractable cancer pain achieves a painless life until death.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.9-18
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• 2010

Objectives : This study will broaden understanding of acupotomy therapy through comparison of side effects and complication which can be caused by the mechanism of treatment, surgical methods, and procedure by acupotomy therapy and epidural neuroplasty. Moreover, through an in-depth analysis of headache affected by two procedures, this research is supposed to find prospective cures for headache after acupotomy therapy. Methods : To compare acupotomy therapy with epidural neuroplasty this research was done using a comparative analysis eight theses about acupotomy therapy since 1995, as well as eleven theses about epidural neuroplasty since 2000. Other theses and data were used as references in the process of comparative analysis. Results : Acupotomy therapy and epidural neuroplasty, new treatments of damaged discs in the spine and stenosis made in 1990s, have the mechanism of treatment in common in that adhesion, a node or scar caused by the soft tissue damage is removed by putting catheter or acupuncture into the lesions. Epidural neuroplasty has additional injection into the lesions, which is different from acupotomy therapy in the process of surgical procedure. There are various reports of positive effects about curative effect in these two treatments. The two procedures may cause various complications. Headache may be a complication after surgery. The headache after acupotomy therapy is characterized as being an ache in the body, which is similar to that of post-dural puncture headache in the outbreaks and symptom. Headache after percutaneous epidural neuroplasty appears in general, which is similar to a headache as a result of the increased pressure of the brain spinal cord regardless of posture. Conclusions : Although they are alike in the mechanism of treatment, surgical methods and side effects, and complication after they are carried out as a result of analyzing theses related to acupotomy therapy and percutaneous epidural neuroplasty, there is a difference in aspects and mechanism of headaches experienced after the procedure.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.335-341
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• 2013

Balamuthia mandrillaris is one of the 4 amebas in fresh water and soil that cause diseases in humans. Granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), caused by B. mandrillaris, is a rare but life-threatening condition. A 4-year-old, previously healthy, Thai girl presented with progressive headache and ataxia for over a month. Neuroimaging studies showed an infiltrative mass at the right cerebellar hemisphere mimicking a malignant cerebellar tumor. The pathological finding after total mass removal revealed severe necrotizing inflammation, with presence of scattered amebic trophozoites. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from lumbar puncture showed evidence of non-specific inflammation without identifiable organisms. A combination of pentamidine, sulfasalazine, fluconazole, and clarithromycin had been initiated promptly before PCR confirmed the diagnosis of Balamuthia amebic encephalitis (BAE). The patient showed initial improvement after the surgery and combined medical treatment, but gradually deteriorated and died of multiple organ failure within 46 days upon admission despite early diagnosis and treatment. In addition to the case, 10 survivors of BAE reported in the PubMed database were briefly reviewed in an attempt to identify the possible factors leading to survival of the patients diagnosed with this rare disease.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.113-115
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• 1994

통증치료를 목적으로 통증치료실에서 경막외 카테타 거치술의 빈도가 증가하고 있으며 현재 지속적 경막외 차단은 통증치료실에서 가장 필수적인 치료수단으로 알려져 있다. 암성통증, 대상포진, 혈관폐쇄성질환, 요하지통 등 여러가지 질환에 따라 수일에서 수개월간 경막외 카테터를 거치하여 치료하고 있다. 합병증으로 장기간의 경막외 카테터 유치로 인한 경막외 감염의 가능성이 항상 존재하고 있고 경막외 농양 동의 경막외 감염중이 드물게 발생하며 세균성 뇌막염의 발생은 매우 희귀하다고 한다. 본원에서는 당뇨병환자로서 우하지의 당뇨병성 말초 신경염으로 인한 통증의 치료를 위해 시술한 지속적 경막외 차단 도중 발생한 세균성 뇌막염을 1예 경험하였으며 이와 같은 합병증을 예방하기 위하여 경막외 천자시, 경막외 카테터 거치후에 지속적인 카테터 관리와 약물주입시 무균조작의 중요성을 절감하여 문헌적 고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.

• 노인정신의학
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.17-23
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• 2012

The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still obscure even to specialists. To improve the diagnostic accuracy, to find at-risk people as early as possible, to predict the efficacy or adverse reactions of pharmacotherapy on an individual basis, to attain more reliable results of clinical trials by recruiting better defined participants, to prove the disease-modifying ability of new candidate drugs, to establish prognosis-based therapeutic plans, and to do more, is now increasing the need for biomarkers for AD. Among AD-related biochemical markers, cerebrospinal beta-amyloid and tau have been paid the most attention since they are materials directly interfacing the brain interstitium and can be obtained through the lumbar puncture. Level of beta-amyloid is reduced whereas tau is increased in cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients relative to cognitively normal elderly people. Remarkably, such information has been found to help predict AD conversion of mild cognitive impairment. Despite inconsistent findings from previous studies, plasma beta-amyloid is thought to be increased before the disease onset, but show decreasing change as the disease progress. Regarding other peripheral biochemical markers, omics tools are being widely used not only to find useful biomarkers but also to generate novel hypotheses for AD pathogenesis and to lead new personalized future medicine.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.128-136
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• 2016

목적: 세균성 백신의 도입으로 인해 세균성 감염의 빈도가 감소하고, 바이러스 질환의 진단법이 발달함에 따라 어린 영아에서 발생하는 발열의 원인에 대한 진단적 패러다임의 변화가 요구되고 있다. 본 연구는 생후 100일 미만의 원인 불명 발열 환자들의 임상적인 특징을 조사하여 향후 대상 질환의 새로운 지침 수립을 위한 기초적인 국내 자료를 제공하고자 하였다. 방법: 2013년 1월부터 2015년 9월 사이 대구가톨릭병원 소아청소년과에 발열로 입원한 생후 100일 미만 영아 183명의 의무 기록을 후향적으로 조사하였다. 체온이 $37.8^{\circ}C$ 이상이며, 병력 및 신체 진찰에서 원인 병소가 뚜렷하지 않고, 이전에 특이병력 없이 건강한 만삭아를 선정 기준으로 하였다. 분석변수로는 대상 환자들의 인구학적 특징, 임상 증상, 검사 결과 및 치료를 조사하였다. 심각한 세균감염(serious bacterial infection, SBI) 군과 바이러스 감염 및 국소 증상 없는 발열 증후군을 non-SBI 군으로 분류하여 양군을 비교하고 SBI의 위험 인자를 알아보았다. 결과: 총 183명의 환자들 가운데 뇌척수액 검사는 181명(98.9%)에서 시행되었고, 뇌척수액 백혈구 증가증은 65명(35.9%)에서 관찰되었다. 이 중 28명(43%)은 요로 감염에서 동반되었다. 바이러스가 원인인 경우에는 장바이러스가 13명(30%)으로 가장 많았고, 계절적으로 여름에 호발하였다. 세균 중에서는 Escherichia coli 가 53명(70%)으로 가장 많았다. 진성 균혈증은 2명(1.1%)으로 각각 B군 사슬알균 수막염과 Staphylococcus aureus 요로 감염 1명에서 세균이 검출되었다. 초기 경험적 항생제는 cefotaxime과 ampicillin 병합투여가 132명(72.1%)로 가장 많았다. 최종 진단명은 국소 증상 없는 발열 증후군이 47명(25.7%)으로 가장 많았고, 요로 감염 41명(22.4%), 무균성 수막염 37명(20.2%) 순이었다. 39명(21.3%)에서는 중복 진단이었던 바 요로 감염과 무균성 수막염의 조합이 25명(13.7%)으로 가장 많았다. SBI는 77명(42.1%)으로, 세균성 수막염 1명을 제외하고 요로 감염이 76명(99%)를 차지하였다. 출생 체중, 말초 혈액 백혈구 수, 적혈구 침강속도, C-반응 단백 및 입원기간은 SBI군에서 non-SBI군보다 유의하게 높았다. 남자(OR 4.93, 95% CI 1.60-15.24)와 농뇨(OR 18.88, 95% CI 6.76-52.76)가 SBI의 위험 인자로 나타났고, 형제가 있는 경우(OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.83)는 SBI의 위험이 낮았다. 결론: 본 연구에서 어린 영아의 심각한 세균 감염은 대부분 요로 감염이었고, 무균성 수막염이 동반되는 경우는 흔하지만, 세균성 수막염은 없었다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 소변 검사를 통해 요로감염이 의심되는 어린 영아에서 요추 천자는 시행하지 않을 수 있다고 생각한다.