• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.61-63
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• 2015

Lymphedema of the upper limb after breast cancer surgery is a disease that carries a life-long risk and is difficult to cure once it occurs despite the various treatments which have been developed. Two patients were referred from general surgery department for intractable lymphedema. They were treated with stellate ganglion blocks (SGBs), and the circumferences of the mid-point of their each upper and lower arms were measured on every visit to the pain clinic. A decrease of the circumference in each patient was observed starting after the second injection. A series of blocks were established to maintain a prolonged effect. Both patients were satisfied with less swelling and pain. This case demonstrates the benefits of an SGB for intractable upper limb lymphedema.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.324-327
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• 1995

Central serous chorioretinopathy is a relatively benign condition of young to middle-aged men, characterized by serous detachment of central retina as a consequence of focal leakage of fluid from the choriocapillaris through a defect in the retinal pigment epithelium. Approximately 80% of central serous chorioretinopathy undergo spontaneous resolution within 6 months. However 20 to 30% of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy have one or more recurrences and undergo chronic courses. In these cases laser photocoagulation is used to burn the leakage site directly, but there is no evidence that it reduces the chance of permanent loss of visual function and recurrence. We have administered stellate ganglion blocks (SGB) on a 43 year old male patient with central serous chorioretinopathy with multiple recurrences and experienced good results. We therefore recommend SGB as an effective treatment for central serous chorioretinopathy in conjunction with other ophthalmological treatments.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.154-157
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• 2007

Background: Anosmia can be frustrating for both the patient and physician, with no clear treatment. We prospectively investigated the effects of stellate ganglion block (SGB) in anosmic patients who were unresponsive to conventional steroid therapy. Methods: Thirteen patients with anosmia were treated with SGB. To evaluate the improvement in olfactory function, we evaluated both changes in subjective symptoms and the butanol threshold test. The number of SGB required for improvement in olfactory function was counted. Results: Seven patients (54%) showed improvement of olfactory function with SGB. The average number of SGB for the first response was $7.4{\pm}5.9times$. Conclusions: These results suggest that SGB may be a good treatment modality for patients with anosmia unresponsive to steroid therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 1989

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1991

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.101-103
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• 1997

Common oral lesions of lichen planus (LP) are bilateral lace-like white patches in the buccal and lingual mucosae. Oral LP of chronic erosive and ulcerative forms develop carcinomas among approximately 1% of affected patients. A 64 year old male patient suffering from LP with early verrucous carcinoma on lips, tongue, and hard palate for approximately 8 years was refered to the pain clinic from department of dermatology. He complained of severe pain (VAS 9.5) on lips, oral cavity and left of the face. For 18 consecutive days we performed stellate ganglion blocks (SGB) with 6 ml on his left side of face. Patients pain decreased to (VAS 3.0) after 18 SGB. After a total of 31 SGB patient was discharged free of pain. pain recurred (VAS 3.5) 22 days after discharge. We then performed SGB, twice weekly and pain was effectively relieved after total 54 SGB. But patient needed to take oral analgesics due to nocturnal pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.263-269
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• 1994

Causaliga is a syndrome of sustained burning pain, allodynia and hyperpathia after a traumatic nerve lesion, often combined with vasomotor and sudomotor dysfunction and later trophic changes. Various treatments of causalgia contain sympathetic blockade, sympathectomy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, physical therapy, cryotherapy and psychotherapy. Repeated stellate ganglion blocks with 6ml of 0.25% bupivacaine provided good results for 2 patients. We recommand sympathetic blocks for treatment of causalgia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.328-330
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• 1995

A fourty-year-old housewife was admitted to the Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat from the emergency room, because of severe vertigo associated with positional changes of the head. Hallpike maneuver produced typical patterns of bilateral nystagmus consistent with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV), and further geotropic rotatory nystagmus with positional change of the head in each direction. Direction of nystagmus reversed when the patients was repositioned upright. Particle repositioning maneuver was administered to her left ear but failed to relieve the severe dizziness associated with the head turning to the right. She was then referred to the patient received 27 SGB treatments and the patients was almost completely healed. It is unusual for the BPPV to occur bilaterally therefore reference concerning the effectiveness of SGB for the treatment of BPPV was difficult to obtain. In conclusion we would like to report the successful treatment of BPPV with SGB.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-124
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• 2013

Ultrasound has emerged to become a commonly used modality in the performance of chronic pain interventions. It allows direct visualization of tissue structure while allowing real time guidance of needle placement and medication administration. Ultrasound is a relatively affordable imaging tool and does not subject the practitioner or patient to radiation exposure. This review focuses on the anatomy and sonoanatomy of peripheral non-axial structures commonly involved in chronic pain conditions including the stellate ganglion, suprascapular, ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, genitofemoral and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves. Additionally, the review discusses ultrasound guided intervention techniques applicable to these structures.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.237-240
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• 2008

Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a disorder characterized by herpetic eruptions on the auricle, facial paralysis, and vestibulocochlear dysfunction, and is attributed to varicella zoster virus infection in the geniculate ganglion. Ramsay Hunt syndrome accounts for about 10% cases of facial palsy. We report a 46-year-old healthy man developed left side skin vesicles on the face with severe pain. We thought of the trigeminal herpes zoster. He was treated with intravenous acyclovir, and stellate ganglion block daily. Four days later, brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed small areas of enhancement in the seventh cranial nerve and eighth cranial nerve, not in the fifth cranial nerve. Eight days later, the left facial palsy was come. We confirmed him as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. We started steroid therapy immediately. He recovered completely a month later. The patient was improved through the early antiviral therapy, steroid medication and stellate ganglion block.