Hipo persistente: una rara complicación de una inyección epidural transforaminal de corticoides / Persistent hiccup: a rare complication of a transforaminal epidural corticoid injection / Soluços persistentes: uma complicação rara da injeção peridural transforaminal de corticosteroide

Se describe el caso de un paciente que instaló un hipo persistente luego de recibir una inyección epidural transforaminal lumbar de corticoides. Se destaca que es una complicación raramente reportada y por ende poco conocida por quienes practican intervencionismo en dolor. Se discuten los posibles mecanismos por los que puede presentarse, se reseña la evolución observada, y se describe el tratamiento instituido. Se señala el impacto que el hipo puede tener sobre la calidad de vida.

The case of a patient who installed a persistent hiccup after receiving a lumbar transforaminal epidural injection of corticosteroids is described. It is highlighted that it is a rarely reported complication and little known by those who practice interventional pain medicine. Possible mechanisms by which it may occur are discussed, the evolution observed and the treatment instituted are reviewed. The impact that hiccups can have on quality of life is pointed out.

Descrevemos o caso de um paciente que desenvolveu soluços persistentes após receber uma injeção peridural transforaminal lombar de corticosteróides. Ressalta-se que é uma complicação pouco relatada e, portanto, pouco conhecida por quem pratica o intervencionismo na dor. Discutem-se os possíveis mecanismos pelos quais pode ocorrer, revisa-se a evolução observada e descreve-se o tratamento instituído. O impacto que os soluços podem ter na qualidade de vida é apontado.

Endoscopic esophageal probe dilation followed by intralesional compound betamethasone injection for anastomotic strictures after esophagectomy: a randomized controlled trial / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To assess the efficacy, safety of adding intralesional compound betamethasone injection to EEBD to reduce restricture.Methods:77 patients, treated in The first people's hospital of YancHeng from January, 2015 to December, 2018, were randomized to receive EEPD combined with either compound betamethasone injection or placebo injection. A total of 2 ml of compound betamethasone injection or an identical volume of normal saline solution as a placebo was injected per site using a 23-gauge needle immediately after EEPD. Patients and treating physicians were blinded to the treatment. The primary endpoint was the number of dilations required to resolve the stricture、restricture-free survival、time required to resolve the stricture and adverse events.Results:During the 4-years study period, Finally , 74 patients , who were randomized to either the steroid group (37 cases) or placebo group (37 cases), comprised the per-protocol population .The median number of EEPD required to resolve strictures was 2.0( IQR 1.0-3.0) in the steroid group and 3.0 ( IQR 3.0-4.5) in the placebo group ( P<0.001). After 6 months of follow-up, 27.0% of patients who had received steroid injections remained recurrence free compared with 3.5% of those who had received saline injections( P<0.001). The median time of EEPD required to resolve the stricture was 88 days( IQR 0-98 days)in the steroid group and 131 days( IQR 97-157 days)in the placebo group( P<0.001). No adverse events occurred related to the EEPD or steroid injection occurred. Conclusion:Endoscopic esophageal probe dilation combined with compound betamethasone injection shows promising results for the prevention of stricture recurrence in patients of anastomotic strictures.

Intralesional corticosteroid injection as an effective treatment method for oral lesions: a meta-analysis

Intralesional corticosteroid injection (ICSI) is known as one of the main methods used for treating a wide range of lesions. It also results in a high concentration of drugs at lesion sites, with minimal systemic absorption. Thus, this study aimed to provide a review of the intralesional corticosteroid injection (ICSI) indications in the treatment of oral lesions. To this end; relevant key words were searched in the databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and UpToDate in the present study. Accordingly, the results of a total number of 62 case reports or case series articles were used in this study and the positive therapeutic effects of intralesional corticosteroid injection (ICSI) in 23 common oral lesions were reported. The most common type of intralesional steroid in the treatment of oral lesions was triamcinolone. No significant difference was also observed in terms of pain in patients following the use of steroid alone or in combination with anesthetic agents; moreover, the reported side effects of this method were exceptionally rare and transient. It was concluded that the intralesional corticosteroid injection (ICSI) could be one of the effective therapeutic methods with no significant problems in many oral lesions such as inflammatory, immunologic, and vascular ones due to its higher therapeutic effects than other topical forms of steroids and fewer side effects than systemic corticosteroid.

Anatomical basis in the treatment of sinus tarsi syndrome by local steroid injection / 解剖学报

Objective To provide anatomical basis for the treatment of sinus tarsi syndrome by developing the anatomical structure of sinus tarsi. Methods Thirty formalin fixed lower limb specimens were dissected. The anatomic structures of the sinus tarsi, neurovascular tissue, ligament and adipose tissue were observed and measured. Morphologies of the sinus tarsi and canal of tarsus in intact dry calcaneus and talus of 136 Chinese adult specimens were investigated and measured. Results The artery of the sinus tarsi and its periphery issued from the dorsalis pedis artery, anterior medial malleolar artery, perforating peroneal artery and lateral tarsal artery. The laterosuperior point of cuboidal articular surface of calcaneus was the obvious osseous marks of the lateral surface of sinus tarsi. The length canal of tarsus, sinus tarsi and the calcaneal sulcus were (14. 85 ±2. 08) ( 8. 33-22. 00) mm, (26.38±3.05) ( 16. 54-35. 79) mm and (41. 25 ± 3. 52) (31. 06-53. 92) mm respectively. There was a angle between two axes of calcaneus and tarsal canal, which was (49. 37± 4.76) (39. 18~56.37)°. Conclusion During the treatment of sinus tarsi syndrome by the local steroid injection, the laterosuperior point of cuboidal articular surface of calcaneus should be palpated firstly, which is the point of inserting the needle. Then, the injection needle is towards posteromedial at 49°, and advance 2.5 mm to touch the sinus tarsi.

Is Platelet-rich Plasma Injection more Effective than Steroid Injection in the Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis in Achieving Long-term Relief?

@#Introduction:Plantar fasciitis is characterised by pain in the heel, which is aggravated on weight bearing after prolonged rest. Many modalities of treatment are commonly used in the management of plantar fasciitis including steroid injection. Many studies show that steroid injection provides pain relief in the short term but not long lasting. Recent reports show autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection promotes healing, resulting in better pain relief in the short as well as long term. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of local injection of platelet-rich plasma and Corticosteroid in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis. Materials and methods:Patients with the clinical diagnosis of chronic plantar fasciitis (heel pain of more than six weeks) after failed conservative treatment and plantar fascia thickness more than 4mm were included in the study. Patients with previous surgery for plantar fasciitis, active bilateral plantar fasciitis, vascular insufficiency or neuropathy related to heel pain, hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study. In this prospective double-blind study, 60 patients who fulfilled the criteria were divided randomly into two groups. Patients in Group A received PRP injection and those in Group B received steroid injection. Patients were assessed with visual analog scale (VAS) and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. Assessment was done before injection, at six weeks, three months and six months follow-up after injection. Plantar fascia thickness was assessed before the intervention and six months after treatment using sonography. Results: Mean VAS in Group A decreased from 7.14 before injection to 1.41 after injection and in Group B decreased from 7.21 before injection to 1.93 after injection, at finalfollow-up. Mean AOFAS score in Group A improved from 54 to 90.03 and in Group B from 55.63 to 74.67 at six months’ follow-up. The improvements observed in VAS and AOFAS were statistically significant. At the end of six months’ follow-up, plantar fascia thickness had reduced in both groups (5.78mm to 3.35mm in Group A and 5.6 to 3.75 in Group B) and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Local injection of platelet-rich plasma is an effective treatment option for chronic plantar fasciitis when compared with steroid injection with long lasting beneficial effect.

Influence of Epidural Steroid Injection on Adrenal Function

BACKGROUND: Spinal diseases are self-limited or non-progressive in many cases. Epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a common nonsurgical treatment option for spinal pain. Despite concerns about complications of repeated steroid injection, few studies reported on the adrenal function of spine disease patients undergoing surgery after ESI. We investigated the influence of preoperative multiple ESIs on adrenal function in spine surgery patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective study with prospective data collection. Those who underwent elective spinal operations and had a history of multiple ESIs from January to June 2017 were selected as a study group. Those who underwent knee arthroplasty and did not have a history of ESI and any kind of steroid injection in other areas during 6 months before surgery were selected as a control group. Demographic data were compared to assess homogeneity between groups. We assessed the preoperative serum cortisol level (SCL) to compare the basal adrenal function between groups. Also, we assessed the elevation of SCL postoperatively to evaluate the adrenal response to the surgical stress in each group. For subgroup analysis, we divided all patients into normal (7–28 µg/dL) and subnormal groups according to SCL and analyzed risk factors of adrenal suppression with multivariate logistic regression test. RESULTS: There were 53 patients in the study group and 130 in the control group. Age and sex were homogeneous between groups. There was significant intergroup difference in preoperative SCL (10.4 ± 4.8 µg/dL in the study group vs. 12.0 ± 4.2 µg/dL in the control group; p = 0.026).The postoperative day one SCL was 11.6 ± 5.0 µg/dL in the study group without significant increase from the preoperative level (p = 0.117), whereas the increase was significant in the control group with a postoperative level of 14.4 ± 4.4 µg/dL (p < 0.001). Among all patients, the SCL was subnormal in 18 patients and within the normal range in 165. Spine surgery was the independent risk factor irrespective of age and sex (odds ratio, 3.472; p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that concern should be raised about the influence of preoperative multiple ESIs on adrenal suppression in spine surgery patients.

Terapia de ondas de choque frente a infiltración corticosteroidea en el tratamiento de la fascitis plantar crónica / Extracorporeal shockwave therapy versus corticosteroid injection in chronic plantar fasciitis

Introducción La fascitis plantar crónica (FPC) es una afección dolorosa, en la cual el objetivo principal del tratamiento es aliviar el dolor y restaurar la función. La terapia de ondas de choque (TOCH) ha demostrado eficacia en el tratamiento de la fascitis plantar con pocos efectos secundarios en comparación con otros métodos conservadores. El objetivo del estudio es comparar la respuesta al tratamiento de TOCH frente a la infiltración con corticosteroides en el tratamiento de la fascitis plantar crónica. Materiales y métodos Sesenta pacientes con FPC fueron distribuidos de forma aleatoria para recibir TOCH (grupo A, n=36) o infiltración con corticosteroides (grupo B, n=24) a través de un programa de generación aleatorizada. Fueron evaluados con EVA y AOFAS para el retropié antes del tratamiento, inmediatamente después del tratamiento, a los 3, 6 y 12 meses posteriores al tratamiento. Resultados Los dos grupos fueron similares en características demográficas. Ambos grupos mejoraron durante el tratamiento y el período de seguimiento. La media de EVA disminuyó de 8 a 1,68 (p <0,001) en el grupo A y de 6,75 a 1,31 (p <0,001) en el grupo B. En el AOFAS presentó un incremento medio de 50,3 a 67,8 (p <0,001) en el grupo A y de 51,3 a 66 (p <0,001) en el grupo B a los 12 meses de seguimiento. A los 3 meses, el grupo B presentó una puntuación media de EVA más baja que en el grupo A (1,12 frente a 1,96; p=0,035), pero al final del seguimiento se observó mejoría en ambos grupos. Discusión Las infiltraciones con corticosteroideas y TOCH son efectivas en la reducción de síntomas y el incremento de la funcionalidad de los pacientes diagnosticados de FPC. Nivel de evidencia clínica Nivel II.

Background Chronic plantar fasciitis (CPF) is a painful condition where the primary goal of treatment is relieve the pain and restore function. Extracorporeal shockwaves therapy (ESWT) has shown efficacy in the treatment of plantar fasciitis with reported few side effects compared to other conservative methods. The purpose of the study is to compare the response to treatment of ESWT against corticosteroid infiltration for PF using VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) and AOFAS (American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society's) hind foot scales. Materials & methods Sixty patients with PF were randomized to receive ESWT (group A, n=36) or corticosteroid infiltration (group B, n=24) through a program of random number generation. They were evaluated with VAS and AOFAS hind foot scales before treatment, immediately after treatment and at 3, 6 and 12 months post treatment. Results The two groups were similar in demographic characteristics. Both groups improved during treatment and follow-up period. The mean VAS decreased from 8 to 1.68 (p <0.001) in group A and 6.75 to 1.31 (p <0.001) in group B and presented a mean increase in AOFAS scale from 50.3 to 67.8 (p <0.001) in group A and 51.3 to 66 (p <0.001) in group B at 12 months follow up. At 3 months, the B group presented a lower average score in VAS when compared with patients in group A (1.12 vs 1.96; p=0.035). Finally, follow-up improvement was seen in both groups with no significant differences. Discussion ESWT and corticosteroid injections are both effective in reducing symptoms and increased functionality when applied to patients diagnosed with CPF. Evidence level II.

Unintentional lumbar facet joint injection guided by fluoroscopy during interlaminar epidural steroid injection: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND: An epidural steroid injection (ESI) is a commonly administered procedure in pain clinics. An unintentional lumbar facet joint injection during interlaminar ESI was reported in a previous study, but there has not been much research on the characteristics of an unintentional lumbar facet joint injection. This study illustrated the imaging features of an unintentional lumbar facet joint injection during an interlaminar ESI and analyzed characteristics of patients who underwent this injection. METHODS: From December 2015 to May 2017, we performed 662 lumbar ESIs and we identified 24 cases (21 patients) that underwent a lumbar facet joint injection. We gathered data contrast pattern, needle approach levels and directions, injected facet joint levels and directions, presence of lumbar spine disease as seen on magnetic resonance images (MRI), and histories of lumbar spine surgeries. RESULTS: The contrast pattern in the facet joint has a sigmoid or ovoid contrast pattern confined to the vicinity of the facet joint. The incidence of unintentional lumbar facet joint injection was 3.6%. The mean age was 68.47 years. Among these 21 patients, 14 (66.7%) were injected in the facet joint ipsilaterally to the needle approach. Among the 20 patients who received MRI, all (100%) had central stenosis and 15 patients (75%) had severe stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: When the operator performs an interlaminar ESI on patients with central spinal stenosis, the contrast pattern on the fluoroscopy during interlaminar ESI should be carefully examined to distinguish between the epidural space and facet joint.

A Case of Primary Cutaneous Plasmacytoma Improved by Intralesional Steroid Injection / 대한피부과학회지

Primary cutaneous plasmacytoma (PCP) is a very rare cutaneous B-cell lymphoma that arises primarily in the skin. A few cases of PCP have been reported previously. PCPs are histologically similar to cutaneous B-cell lymphoma and are characterized by dense monoclonal plasma cell infiltration in the dermis. PCP can manifest as a single lesion or as multiple lesions. A solitary lesion can be treated with surgical excision or local radiotherapy. We describe the case of a patient with primary cutaneous plasmacytoma that was treated with intralesional steroid injections.

Treatment strategy and plan for diabetic macular edema based on the latest guidelines / 中华实验眼科杂志

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a common reason for vision decrease.The concept of DME treatment regime has been changed to increase the vision-sight of patients since the onset of new treatment.Recent DME guidelines introduced the latest researches of DME,which raised new clinical suggestion and clinical pathway based on evidence-based medicine.Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment is the first-line therapy for all types of DME,laser photocoagulation and intravitreal steroid injection are often the supplementary treatment except for some special cases in which they can be the substitution for anti-VEGF treatment.The regime for DME treatment now is combination.To understand and follow the guidelines can help us instruct and standardize our management on DME.

Four Cases of Median Nail Dystrophy Treated with Intralesional Steroid Injection / 대한피부과학회지

No abstract available.

Cerebrospinal fluid infection after lumbar nerve root steroid injection: a case report / 대한마취과학회지

A 45-year-old woman was admitted due to severe headache and neck stiffness. She had visited a local clinic for back pain and received a lumbar nerve root steroid injection 10 days before admission. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed psoas abscess, pneumocephalus, and subdural hygroma. She was diagnosed with psoas abscess and meningitis. The abscess and external ventricle were drained, and antibiotics were administered. Unfortunately, the patient died on hospital day 19 due to diffuse leptomeningitis. Lumbar nerve root steroid injections are commonly used to control back pain. Vigilance to "red flag signs" and a rapid diagnosis can prevent lethal outcomes produced by rare and unexpected complications related to infection. Here, we report a case of fatal meningitis after infection of the cerebrospinal fluid following a lumbar nerve root steroid injection.

Comparative Effectivenesses of Pulsed Radiofrequency and Transforaminal Steroid Injection for Radicular Pain due to Disc Herniation: a Prospective Randomized Trial

Transforaminal Epidural steroid injections (TFESI) have been widely adopted to alleviate and control radicular pain in accord with current guidelines. However, sometimes repeated steroid injections have adverse effects, and thus, this prospective randomized trial was undertaken to compare the effectivenesses of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) administered to a targeted dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and TFESI for the treatment of radicular pain due to disc herniation. Subjects were recruited when first proved unsuccessful (defined as a score of > 4 on a visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-10 mm) and of > 30% according to the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) or the Neck Disability Index (NDI)). Forty-four patients that met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The 38 subjects were randomly assigned to receive either PRF (PRF group; n = 19) or additional TFESI (TFESI group; n = 19) and were then followed for 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. To evaluate pain intensity were assessed by VAS. ODI and NDI were applied to evaluate functional disability. Mean VAS scores for cervical and lumbar radicular pain were significantly lower 12 weeks after treatment in both study groups. NDI and ODI scores also declined after treatment. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the PRF and TFESI groups in terms of VAS, ODI, or NDI scores at any time during follow-up. PRF administered to a DRG might be as effective as TFESI in terms of attenuating radicular pain caused by disc herniation, and its use would avoid the adverse effects of steroid.

Comparative Effectivenesses of Pulsed Radiofrequency and Transforaminal Steroid Injection for Radicular Pain due to Disc Herniation: a Prospective Randomized Trial

Transforaminal Epidural steroid injections (TFESI) have been widely adopted to alleviate and control radicular pain in accord with current guidelines. However, sometimes repeated steroid injections have adverse effects, and thus, this prospective randomized trial was undertaken to compare the effectivenesses of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) administered to a targeted dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and TFESI for the treatment of radicular pain due to disc herniation. Subjects were recruited when first proved unsuccessful (defined as a score of > 4 on a visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-10 mm) and of > 30% according to the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) or the Neck Disability Index (NDI)). Forty-four patients that met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. The 38 subjects were randomly assigned to receive either PRF (PRF group; n = 19) or additional TFESI (TFESI group; n = 19) and were then followed for 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. To evaluate pain intensity were assessed by VAS. ODI and NDI were applied to evaluate functional disability. Mean VAS scores for cervical and lumbar radicular pain were significantly lower 12 weeks after treatment in both study groups. NDI and ODI scores also declined after treatment. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the PRF and TFESI groups in terms of VAS, ODI, or NDI scores at any time during follow-up. PRF administered to a DRG might be as effective as TFESI in terms of attenuating radicular pain caused by disc herniation, and its use would avoid the adverse effects of steroid.

Effect of Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injection: Analysis According to the Neck Pain Patterns and MRI Findings

BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted that cervical interlaminar steroid injection (CIESI) is more effective in treating radicular pain than axial neck pain, but without direct comparison. And the differences of effect after CIESI according to MRI findings are inconsistent. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the therapeutic response of CIESI according to pain sites, durations, MRI findings, and other predictive factors altogether, unlike previous studies, which evaluated them separately. METHODS: The medical records of 128 patients who received fluoroscopy guided CIESI were analyzed. We evaluated the therapeutic response (more than a 50% reduction on the visual analog scale [VAS] by their second visit) after CIESI by (1) pain site; neck pain without radicular pain/radicular pain with or without neck pain, (2) pain duration; acute/chronic (more than 6 month), and (3) findings of MRI; herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD)/spinal stenosis, respectively and altogether. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients (68%) responded to CIESI, and there were no significant differences in demographic data, initial VAS score, or laboratory findings. And there were no significant differences in the response rate relating to pain site, pain duration, or MRI findings, respectively. In additional analysis, acute radicular pain with HIVD patients showed significantly better response than chronic neck pain with spinal stenosis (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: We cannot find any sole predictive factor of therapeutic response to the CIESI. But the patients having acute radicular pain with HIVD showed the best response, and those having other chronic neck pain showed the worst response to CIESI.

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis / 대한족부족관절학회지

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. The diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is primarily based on the presentation of symptoms and physical examination. Patients usually complain of heel pain at the medial calcaneal tubercle when taking their first step in the morning or when walking after resting. Diagnostic imaging is rarely required for the initial diagnosis of plantar fasciitis; however, it can be used for differential diagnosis. Conservative treatments, such as stretching, rest, ice massage, oral analgesics, foot orthotics, use of night splint, and corticosteroid injection, may be effective. The majority of patients report improvement with conservative treatments, and those who show no response from conservative treatments for a duration of six months or longer can consider extracorporeal shock wave therapy or surgery.

The Relationship between Physical Findings and the Recurrence after Steroid Injection in De Quervain's Disease

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of steroid injection according to the stage of Finkelstein's test and the severity of tenderness on radial styloid in de Quervain's disease. METHODS: Between January 2011 and December 2012, a total of 57 patients (57 wrists) treated with steroid injection in de Quervain's disease were enrolled on this study. The severity of tenderness, the stage of Finkelstein's test and pain score using visual analogue scale (VAS) were assessed before steroid injection. And the effect of steroid injection was assessed until one year after steroid injection. The relationship between the recurrence of de Quervain's disease after steroid injection and pre-injection findings including tenderness, Finkelstein's test and VAS was assessed. RESULTS: The success rate of steroid injection was 71.9% (41/57 patients). The outcome of steroid injection was not significantly related to the severity of tenderness (p=0.648), the stage of Finkelstein's test (p=0.530) and VAS score (p=0.607). CONCLUSION: The tenderness on radial styloid and the Finkelstein's test are important physical findings for the diagnosis of de Quervain's disease. However, the severity of tenderness and the stage of Finkelstein's test were not showed as predictive factors for the outcome.

Isolated Infraspinatus Tear and Suprascapular Nerve Neuropathy after Barbotage and Steroid Injection of Calcific Tendinitis / 대한스포츠의학회지

Isolated rupture of infraspinatus after barbotage for calcific tendinitis has not been reported in the literature. We report on a case of isolated infraspinatus rupture and suprascapular nerve neuropathy after steroid injection and barbotage of calcific tendinitis in rotator cuff. At 6-month follow-up after surgery, satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes were observed with daily activity level. The author reports this case and review the literature.

Factors Affecting Radiation Exposure during Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection: A Prospective Study in 759 Patients

OBJECTIVE: To estimate and compare radiation exposure and intervention time during lumbar epidural steroid injection (ESI) 1) under different practitioners and methods with continuous fluoroscopic monitoring, and 2) under one practitioner with different methods and monitoring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We consecutively recruited 804 patients who underwent lumbar ESI and 759 patients who underwent 922 interventions were included for analysis in this investigation. Three different practitioners (a senior faculty member, junior faculty member, trainee) performed lumbar ESI using different methods (caudal, interlaminar, transforaminal). The senior faculty member performed lumbar ESI under two different methods of fluoroscopic monitoring (continuous [CM] and intermittent monitoring [IM]). The dose area product (DAP) fluoroscopy time, and intervention time during lumbar ESI were compared for 1) ESI methods and practitioners under CM, and 2) ESI methods and monitoring. RESULTS: With CM, interaction between the effects of the practitioner and the intervention on DAP was significant (p < 0.001), but not fluoroscopy time (p = 0.672) or intervention time (p = 0.852). The significant main effects included the practitioner and intervention on DAP, fluoroscopy time, and intervention time with CM (p < 0.001). DAPs and fluoroscopy time for caudal, interlaminar, and transforaminal ESI were higher with CM than with IM (p < 0.001). Intervention time did not differ between CM and IM. CONCLUSION: Radiation exposure is dependent on the practitioners and methods and within the established safety limits during lumbar ESIs under CM. With an experienced practitioner, IM leads to less radiation exposure than CM.

Adrenal Insufficiency in Patients with Rotator Cuff Tear: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Influence on Outcome

BACKGROUND: This study measured the rate of adrenal insufficiency among rotator cuff tear patients, and determined the roles of steroid treatment and herbal medicine as specific risk factors of adrenal insufficiency. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the 53 patients who agreed to participate in the study and underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair due to a chronic full-thickness tear from March 2012 to September 2013. The diagnosis of adrenal insufficieny was made by rapid adrenocortical hormone test before the operation. We collected information regarding their history of steroid and herbal medicine treatment within the last 12 months. RESULTS: The rate of adrenal insufficiency among the rotator cuff tear patients in our study was 18.9% (10 of 53 patients). Steroid treatment (p=0.034), frequency of local steroid injection (p=0.008), and herbal medicine treatment (p=0.02) showed significant association with the risk of adrenal insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, careful taking of a patient's medical history, such as the use of steroids and herbal medicine, is important when investigating adrenal function before surgery.