• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제65권3호
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• pp.479-488
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• 2022

Objective : The surgical management of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) caused by petrous apex meningioma (PAM) is still a challenge because of the lesion's deep location and the surrounding complex structures. The authors describe the intradural anterior transpetrosal approach (ATPA) and its effect on the treatment of TN secondary to PAM. Methods : A retrospective analysis of 15 patients with TN secondary to PAM who underwent surgery via the intradural ATPA was conducted. The key techniques, which included drilling off the petrosal apex (PA) and opening the upper wall of Meckel's cave (MC), are described in detail. Results : Total removal of the tumor and complete pain relief (Barrow Neurological Institute I) were achieved in all 15 patients without significant morbidity. Five patients developed new facial numbness postoperatively, which disappeared within three months after surgery. The postoperative magnetic resonance imaging showed temporal lobe swelling in three patients, but no clinical symptoms. One patient had cerebrospinal fluid leakage and was managed with bed rest and temporary lumbar drainage. One patient had an intracranial infection and was treated with antibiotics. By the last follow up, no patients had pain relapse or/and tumor recurrence. It is worth noting that the vascular compression at the root of the trigeminal nerve was found in one patient during the operation. Conclusion : Our experience suggests that drilling off the PA and opening the upper wall of the MC are key elements for a good outcome of the treatment of TN secondary to PAM. The intradural ATPA has the advantages for both tumor resection and pain relief.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.174-182
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• 2018

Background: The trigeminal nucleus caudalis (Vc) is a primary central site for trigeminal transmitting. Noxious stimulation of the trigeminal nociceptors alters the central synaptic releases and neural expression of some inflammatory and trophic agents. Orexin-A and the orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) are expressed in pain pathways including trigeminal pain transmission. However, the the mechanism(s) underling orexin-A effects on trigeminal pain modulation have not been fully clarified. Methods: Trigeminal pain was induced by subcutaneous injection of capsaicin in the upper lip in rats. The effect of trigeminal pain on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the Vc of animals was determined by immunofluorescence. Subsequently, OX1R agonist (orexin-A) and antagonist (SB-334867-A) was administrated in the Vc to investigate the possible roles of the Vc OX1R on changes in COX-2 and BDNF levels following pain induction. Results: The data indicated an increase in COX-2 and decrease in BDNF immuno-reactivity in the Vc of capsaicin, and capsaicin- pretreated with SB-334867-A (80 nM), groups of rat. However, the effect of capsaicin on COX-2 and BDNF expressions was reversed by a Vc microinjection of orexin-A (100 pM). Conclusions: Overall, the present data reveals that orexin-A can attenuate capsaicin-induced trigeminal pain through the modulation of pain effects on COX-2 and BDNF expressions in the Vc of rats.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.59-66
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• 2017

Objectives : This study aims to report the effectiveness and safety of Korean medicine with thread embedding acupuncture in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Methods : A 73-year-old man who had suffered from severe facial pain for one year and who had had a healthy tooth extracted due to the pain is reported. He could not eat or sleep due to the severe pain. Acupuncture, thread embedding acupuncture, cupping, herbal steam, and herbal medicines were used for the treatment. Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and adverse events were checked daily, and other outcomes (Baseline Evaluation, Visual Analogue Scale [VAS], Short Form Health Survey 36-Bodily Pain [SF-36 BP], and Patient Global Assessment [PGA]) were measured at hospital admission and discharge. During the follow-up examinations, his pain was evaluated roughly, without using any formal measurements, on the basis of a global assessment. Results : All measured parameters, including pain, quality of life, and patient satisfaction were noted to have improved at the time of discharge compared to admission: VAS from 10 to 1.5, NRS from 7-8 to 1-2, and SF-36 BP from 0 to 22.5, and the patient's global assessment was somewhat improved. He did not take any analgesics after discharge and noted only mild adverse events, like pain where the acupuncture and thread embedding acupuncture needles were inserted. His pain relief was maintained for 6 months. Conclusion : Korean medicine with thread embedding acupuncture might be a safe and effective treatment for TN. In the future, larger sample sizes and high quality randomized clinical trials are warranted to confirm its efficacy and safety.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.173-182
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• 1996

This study was performed to provide the information on the clinical characteristics of the most common paroxysmal pain disorder in maxillofacial region, trigeminal neuralgia, and the effects and side effects of carbamazepine. The patients who visited Orofacial Pain Clinic, Dept. of Oral Diagnosis, Seoul National University Dental Hospital for treating paroxysmal pain were studied by history taking, clinical examination, and radiography. Sixty-two patients(male 20, female42) without any clinical and radiological abnormalities were Included. The change of pain, blood tests, and side effects were investigated periodically after administration of carbamazepine. The obtained results were as follows : 1. Almost all patient with trigeminal neuralgia were over the age of forties and it was more common in women. 2. Trigeminal neuralgia was more right sided and the involved nerve was in the order of maxillary n., mandibular n., and ophthalmic n. 3. The mean duration of suffering was 20.7 months. Eighty percent of patients had apparent trigger area. 4. The duration of pain attack was in the older of several seconds, 1 min. to 5 min., more than 10 min., and 5 min. to 10 min. The frequency of pain attack was in the order of more than 10 per day, 6-10 per day, and 1-5 per day. 5. The clinic the patients had visited for reducing neuralgic pain was in the order of dental clinic, neurology, oriental medicine, otolaryngology, and pharmacy. 6. Unnecessary dental treatments for reducing neuralgic pain were performed in 41.9% of the patients. Almosit all treatments were irreversible ones such as endodontic treatment and tooth extraction. 7. The initial mean VAS was 8.6, but it was decreased to 3.8 after 1 month, to 2.7 after 2 months. Almost all patients showed decreased pain with 200-600mg/day of carbamazepine to 6 months. 8. WBC counts, especially neutrophil counts, was decreased in 1 week after administration of carbamazepine but reached initial level after 1 month. SGOT, SGPT, and creatinine did not show any significant change. 9. Blood pressure was not changed significantly after administration of carbamazepine. 10. Almost patients did not show any apparent side effects, but drowsiness, dizziness, skin itching, constipation, and gastric irritation were occurred in some patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제61권6호
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• pp.747-752
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• 2018

Objective : To prospectively compare facial pain outcomes for patients having either a repeat microvascular decompression (MVD) or percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) as their surgery for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) recurrence. Methods : Prospective cohort study of 110 patients with TN recurrence who had either redo MVD (n=68) or PBC (n=42) from July 2010 until September 2016. The mean follow-up was 45.6 months. Results : After redo MVD, 65 patients (95.6%) experienced immediate relief of pain. After PBC, 34 patients (81%) were immediately relieved of their neuralgia. After 1 month, the clinical effect of redo MVD was better than PBC (p<0.01). Patients who had redo MVD more commonly were pain free off medications (93.4% at 1 year, 78.2% at 4 years) compared with the PBC patients (85.1% at 1 year, 59.3% at 4 years). However, mean length of stay was longer (p>0.05). Patients after PBC who occurred developed herpes simplex (35.7%), facial numbness (76.2%), and annoying dysesthesia (21.4%) more frequently compared with patients after redo MVD who occurred developed herpes simplex (14.7%), facial numbness (8.8%), and hypoesthesia (5.9%) (p<0.05). The symptoms recurred respectively in 15 patients (22.1%) and 19 patients (45.2%) after redo MVD and PBC within the entire 6-year follow-up period. Conclusion : For the patients with TN recurrence, redo MVD was a more effective procedure than PBC. The cure rate and immediate relief of pain were better, and the incidence of complications was lower.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제63권6호
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• pp.814-820
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• 2020

Objective : Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe neuropathic condition that affects several elderly patients. It is characterized by uncontrolled pain that significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. Therefore, the condition should be treated as an emergency. In the majority of patients, pain can be controlled with medication; however, other treatment modalities are being explored in those who become refractory to drug treatment. The use of the trigeminal nerve block with a local anesthetic serves as an excellent adjunct to drug treatment. This technique rapidly relieves the patient of pain while medications are being titrated to effective levels. We report the efficacy and safety of percutaneous trigeminal nerve block in elderly patients with TN at our outpatient clinic. Methods : Twenty-one patients older than 65 years with TN received percutaneous nerve block at our outpatient clinic. We used bupivacaine (1 mL/injection site) to block the supraorbital, infraorbital, superior alveolar, mental, and inferior alveolar nerves according to pain sites of patients. Results : All patients reported relief from pain, which decreased by approximately 78% after 2 weeks of nerve block. The effect lasted for more than 4 weeks in 12 patients and for 6 weeks in two patients. There were no complications. Conclusion : Percutaneous nerve block procedure performed at our outpatient clinic provided immediate relief from pain to elderly patients with TN. The procedure is simple, has no serious side effects, and is easy to apply.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.178-181
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• 2024

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제65권5호
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• pp.633-639
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• 2022

Accurate diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the starting point for optimal treatment. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is currently regarded as one of the first-line treatment options for medically refractory TN. GKRS is a less invasive treatment with a low risk of complications than other surgical procedures that provides a favorable pain control Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) I-IIIb rate of >75% at short-term follow-up. Drawbacks of GKRS include the latency period before pain relief and higher recurrence rate compared with microvascular decompression. Therefore, repeat treatment is necessary if the initial GKRS was effective but followed by recurrence. The concept of dose rate and the biologically effective dose of radiation has been actively studied in radiation oncology and is also applied in GKRS for TN to achieve high safety and efficacy by prescribing the optimal dose. Recent progress in functional imaging, such as diffusion tensor imaging, enables us to understand the pathophysiology of TN and predict the clinical outcome after GKRS. Here, we review TN, GKRS, and recent updates, especially in the concepts of radiation dose, diffusion tensor imaging studies, and repeat treatment in GKRS for TN.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.207-216
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• 2009

2003년부터 2008년까지 경북대학교병원 구강내과를 내원한 삼차신경통 환자 90명의 임상 소견 및 약물 치료에 대한 결과를 분석하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1. 삼차신경통 환자는 40대 이상이 94.4%를 차지하였고 남녀비가 1:2.1로 여성에서 거의 2배 정도 호발하였다. 2. 삼차신경의 상악분지에 단독으로 이환된 경우가 51.1%로 가장 많았고 좌우비가 1:2.9로 우측에 더 자주 발생하였다. 3. 85명(94.4%)의 환자가 경북대학교병원 구강내과에 내원하기 전 삼차신경통을 치료하기 위해 다른 의료기관을 내원한 경험이 있었다. 3. 40명(44.4%)의 환자가 현재 치료 중인 전신질환을 가지고 있었다. 4. Carbamazepine 단독 투여로 69명(76.7%)의 환자가 효과를 나타내었으며 이 때 사용된 Carbamazepine의 일일 용량은 평균 402.9mg이었다. 반면에 16명(17.8%)의 환자는 Carbamazepine과 다른 약물을 복합 투여하여 효과를 나타내었고 사용된 Carbamazepine 일일 용량은 평균 618.8mg이었으며 가장 많이 사용된 병용 약물은 Baclofen이었다. 나머지 5명(5.6%)의 환자는 Carbamazepine으로 효과를 얻지 못했다. 5. Carbamazepine 단독 투여에 효과가 있었던 69명 중 39명은 내원 기간 동안 지속적인 효과를 나타내었으나 30명은 Carbamazepine에 대한 효과가 감소하였거나 부작용으로 인해 복합 투약을 시행하였거나 다른 약물로 교체 또는 신경외과로 의뢰하였다. 6. 54명(60%)의 환자에서 Carbamazepine 투여 후 현기증, 졸음, 오심, 혈구 감소, 피부 발진 등의 부작용이 발생하였으나 대부분 그 정도가 미약하거나 일시적이었고 11명의 환자가 부작용으로 인해 Carbaamzepien 투약을 중단하였다.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제49권3호
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• pp.57-64
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• 2024

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the final diagnosis and the pain characteristics of patients with suspected nonodontogenic toothache and to contribute to the knowledge on differential diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted based on medical records from 185 patients. The following data were collected: age, sex, pain characteristics, radiographic results, initial diagnosis and treatment, and final diagnosis and treatment. The final diagnosis and the pain characteristics of the 3 most common final diagnoses were analyzed. Results: Myofascial pain (MFP) was the most prevalent diagnosed condition accounting for 37.8% of cases, followed by pulpal pain (P) at 31.4%, and trigeminal neuralgia (TN) at 18.9%. There were significant differences in age, onset of the pain, and pain intensity across the 3 groups (all p<0.01). TN group exhibited a lower frequency of spontaneous and continuous pain than the MFP and P groups (all p<0.001). The proportion of patients reporting pain alleviating and aggravating factors related to dental pain was significantly higher in the P group than in the MFP and TN groups (all p<0.001). A concordance rate of 57.0% was observed between the initial and the final diagnosis. Twenty-six patients underwent tooth extractions and 24 patients had root canal treatments. Conclusions: It is important to differentiate between dental pain and nonodontogenic toothache to avoid unnecessary dental treatments. Comprehending the pain characteristics of each condition, taking a thorough history taking, and performing diagnostic tests can help differential diagnosis.