• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2005

Background: An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is usually used for the treatment of low back pain with radiculopathy. An ESI can be performed by two procedures: I) a lumbar or caudal epidural steroid injection and II) a transforaminal epidural steroid injection. Methods: Ninety-three patients, who had undergone transforaminal epidural steroid injection (Group II), and either a lumbar or caudal epidural steroid injection (Group I), were retrospectively studied. The authors assessed the pain, walking, standing improvement and side effects after each procedure, which were evaluated as being very good, good, fair or poor. Data were collected from the patients medical records and analyzed using the chi-squared test. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the pain, walking, standing improvement and side effects between the two groups. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain improvement following transforaminal epidural steroid injection in those not effectively responding to an initial lumbar or caudal epidural block in Group II. Conclusions: A transforaminal epidural steroid injection is a useful alternative to a lumbar or caudal epidural steroid injection for low back pain with radiculopathy.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.210-213
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• 1998

Background: Epidural steroid therapy has been well-established for the treatment of sciatica and low back pain. Disappointing results following surgical decompression or discectomy have led to wide trials of corticosteroids injected either systemically or into the intraspinally. Although epidural steroid is known to be very effective in the treatment of the patients with low back pain, few data showed the therapeutic duration of epidural steroid. Methods: We studied 120 patients who were treated with epidural steroid for the treatment of low back pain or sciatica or both. We retrospectively analysed the duration of analgesia, number of injections per each session, and complications. Results: The duration of analgesia ranged from 17 days to 300 days, and the mean duration was $73.7{\pm}70.5$ (SD) days. The mean number of injections per each session was $1.8{\pm}1.3$ (range: 1 to 12). There were no significant complications with epidural steroid injections. Conclusions: One to three epidural steroid injections at one week interval leads more than two months of pain relief without significant complications.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.150-154
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• 1998

Epidural steroid injection have become one of the most frequently applied conservative option for the management of acute and chronic back pain. As the indications for epidural steroid injections increase so do the adverse responses associated with this procedure. This study reports the succession of 3 patients who developed galactorrhea and hyperprolactinemia after recieving an epidural steroid injection for lumbar radiculopathy and low back pain. Serum prolactin level was elevated in accordance with epidural injection of corticosteroid. We measured the serum prolactin level by immunoradiometric assay method and peak serum prolactin level at above 500, 144.2, 150.3 ng/ml respectively. Also we found the serum prolactin level decreased to normal values 3 wks after corticosteroid injection. Galactorrhra ceased in advance of decrease of serum prolactin level. That "Hyperprolactinemia and galactorrhea can occur following epidural steroid injection", requires a much larger prospective investigation.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.276-279
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• 2001

Epidural steroid injection is one method of releiving chronic back pain. However, problems with the loss of resistance to air technique include the possible subarachnoid or subdural injection of air resulting in headache, venous air embolism, and the introduction of air bubbles into the epidural space. Pneumocephalus is a rare complication of epidural block for epidural steroid injection. We report a case of a 58-year-old woman who developed a severe headache and posterior nuchal pain with incomplete oculomotor palsy due to pneumocephalus occuring after an epidural steroid injection.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.162-167
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• 1991

Epidural steroid therapy has been well-established for the treatment of sciatica and low back pain. Disappointing results following surgical decompression or discectomy pain owing for to nerve root compression have led to trials of corticosteroids injected either systemically or into the intrathecal or epidural space to treat intervertebral disc. Epidural steroid is less effective in the patients with low back pain who have a history of surgical operation, so that the use of epidural morphine and methylprednisolone has been advocated for the amelioration of chronic low back pain in the post-laminectomy pain("failed back") syndrome over the past several years. We treated 47 patients with low back pain who had a history of one or two surgical procedures. We concluded that epidural steroid therapy is less effective in the patients with "failed back" syndrome than in the virgin back furthermore, there is a greater risk of complication such as inadvertent dural puncture and corresponding motor paralysis and headache.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.147-151
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• 1991

Cervical epidural steroid injection, although not as familiar to many anesthesiologists, can be useful in the management of patients with acute and chronic neck, shoulder and arm pain. My clinic personally contacted and interviewed thirty patients with cervical radiculopathy who received cervical epidural steroid injection. Twenty seven percent of the patients had a excellent response(greater than 75% improvement) and fifty percent of the patients had a good response (greater than 50% improvement) to an injection of steroid into the cervical epidural space. We have concluded that cervical epidural steroid injection was very effective in the management of cervical radiculopathy and represented a possible alternative to surgery. Many anesthesiologists should add to their armamentarium the use of such techniques in the management of cervical radiculopathy.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.231-237
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• 1994

Epidural steroid injection is a treatment for low back pain which allows smaller doses with less risk of side effects and longer duration of relief than systemic administration. From 1 June 1992 to 31 January, 1994, 1 mg/kg of triamcinolone diacetate in 8 ml of lidocaine 1% was administered 56 times to 33 patients who complained of low back pain. Results of epidural steroid injection provided effectiveness in treating various low back pain diseases except postlaminectomy syndrome. However there are no gains about repeated epidural steroid injection.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.98-101
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• 1996

Background: Lumbar epidural steroid injection for relief of low back pain and sciatica has become a popular procedure. further, cervical epidural steroid injection with nerve block (CESNB) is known to be effective for the management of acute and chronic pain of neck, shoulder and arm. However, many anesthesiologists are not familiar with CESNB. Methods: Charts of 34 patients who had undergone 60 cervical epidural steroid injections over a three year period, 1993 to 1995, were reviewed. We studied the followings: initial visit and department, injected interspaces, personal characteristics, indications for injection and complications. Results: Patients' first visits were mainly to orthopaedics (11 patients) and neurosurgery (10 patients). Epidural injection sites were: C7-T1 interspace (29 patients) and C6-C7 interspace (6 patients). Mean age of patients were 50.1 years. range 21~73 years. There were twenty male and fourteen female patients. Complications varied from dizziness after CESNB (1 patient). loss of consciousness with transient apnea (2 patients), and local infection with suspicious meningitis (1 patient). Conclusion: We conclude from the above data that CESNB is a good, safe and conservative form of therapeutic procedure in the management of patients suffering from cervical radiculopathy, and neck and shoulder pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2006

Background: A transforaminal epidural steroid injection has been used for the treatment of radicular arm or leg pain, which has the advantage of ventral epidural spreading compared to either an interlaminar or caudal approach. However, several factors are known to affect the epidural spread pattern of contrast dye; therefore, the injected medication can not be delivered to the target site. The objective of our study was to observe any differences in the contrast flow patterns according to several factors. Methods: A total of 34 epidurographies in 29 patients, who underwent fluoroscopically guided transforaminal epidural steroid injections, were evaluated. After confirming the location of the needle tip within the anterior superior aspect of the neural foramen in the lateral view, and at the 6 o'clock position to the pedicle in the anteroposterior view, 2 ml of contrast dye was injected. The contrast flow patterns of ventral, ventral and dorsal, and dorsal epidural filling were analyzed, according to age, gender, magnetic resonance imaging finding and history of previous back surgery. Results: Ventral contrast flow occurred in 30 out of the 34 epidurographies (88%). Both ventral and dorsal contrast flow patterns were observed 13 out of 16 (81%) patients in the older age group. Also, both ventral and dorsal contrast flow patterns were observed in 16 out of 18 (88%) patients with spinal stenosis. Conclusions: Transforaminal epidural steroid injections, performed uner fluoroscopy, provide excellent nerve root filling and ventral epidural spreading. Patients with spinal stenosis or an old age have both ventral and dorsal epidural spreading patterns.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.376-378
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• 2015

Cervical epidural steroid injection is indicated for radicular symptoms with or without axial neck pain. Complications are rare but can be serious. Here, we report the case of a 54-year-old man with cervical radicular pain who was treated with cervical epidural steroid injection. Injection was administered twice under fluoroscopic guidance with the loss-of-resistance technique using air to confirm the epidural space. After the second procedure, the patient complained of severe persistent headache and was diagnosed with pneumocephalus on brain computed tomography. The patient returned home without any neurological complication, after a few days of conservative treatment. Though, a fluoroscopic guidance cervical epidural injection is also known to diminish the risk of complications. Physicians should always keep in mind that it does not guarantee safety, particularly in the cervical region, related to its anatomical considerations.