Anesthetic management of percutaneous balloon compression of the trigeminal ganglion for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: Two cases report / 대한마취과학회지

Trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, usually unilateral, severe brief stabbing recurrent pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the 5th cranial nerve. Treatments of trigeminal neuralgia include systemic trials of medications and surgical procedures such as microvascular decompression, stereotactic radiosurgery, percutaneous glycerol or alcohol rhizolysis, percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy, and percutaneous balloon compression (PBC). PBC of the trigeminal ganglion using a balloon catheter was introduced by Mullan and Lichtor in 1983. Since then, many papers have been published describing results of this technique. Typically, this procedure is performed under general anesthesia. However, little is known about the use of PBC for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in Korea. We report here our anesthetic management of percutaneous balloon compression of trigeminal ganglion for the treatment of the trigeminal neuralgia by total intravenous anesthesia.

Acute pulmonary edema due to phenylephrine injection in patient receiving long-term beta-blocker therapy: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

During administration of anesthesia, intraoperative blood pressure control is very important. Sometimes a hypertensive or anti-hypertensive agent is used in order to maintain blood pressure at an adequate level; alpha-agonist and beta-blocker are drugs frequently used. Alpha-agonists are used in various ways including their application together with local anesthetics during an operation for the purpose of vasoconstriction, to control systemic absorption of local anesthetics, to extend the duration of action, or to reduce bleeding from the surgical site. In addition, alpha-agonists are used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Beta-blockers are used widely as a therapeutic agent for hypertension, angina, and arrhythmia, and to lower portal pressure in liver cirrhosis. Here, we are reporting the case of acute pulmonary edema that occurred after the administration of phenylephrine, in order to maintain blood pressure in a 52-year-old female patient with liver cirrhosis. The patient was underwent emergent decompressive craniectomy for intracranial hemorrhage without acknowledging her long-term use of a beta-blocker medication.

Pulmonary thromboembolism occurred immediately after leg elevation under induction of general anesthesia in a patient with femur fracture : A case report

Pulmonary embolism is a fatal complication of major operation. But early detection of pulmonary thromboembolism during general anesthesia is not easy because clinical manifestations of pulmonary thromboembolism are nonspecific during general anesthesia. So the prevention of pulmonary thromboembolism is important for the high risk patients. We experienced a case of pulmonary thromboembolism which occurred in an old female patient with femur fracture immediately after leg elevation following induction of general anesthesia.

Acute cerebral infarction due to thrombus formation during GDC embolization for the treatment of intracranial aneurysm: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Although Guglielmi Detachable Coil (GDC) endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms has become an alternative to surgery, the main complication continues to be thromboembolic events. In our patient, we found thrombus at the third branch of the right middle cerebral artery after coil embolization. We added intravenous heparin and gave abciximab, an antiplatelet agent through the catheter. We then elevated the blood pressure and administered intravenous colloid solution to maintain adequate collateral circulation. One day later, the patient presented with acute focal infartion in the right frontal lobe and we treated her with low molecular weight heparin. After seven days, the patient's symptoms disappeared, and there was no residual neurological deficit. Therefore, we believe potential clinical complications can be avoided through early recognition of thrombus and appropriate medical therapy. Furthermore, it is necessary to prevent hypotension and to maintain proper hematocrit levels during operations in patients having risk factors for thrombosis.

Pulsed Radiofrequency Lesioning of the Suprascapular Nerve for Referred Shoulder Pain due to Metastatic Liver Cancer: A case report / 대한통증학회지

A diagnosis of shoulder pain is varied and difficult to make. The initial onset of liver cancer is difficult to detect and patients typically do not complain of symptoms as most tumors are asymptomatic. If the symptoms of the patients develop, the first symptom is usually pain that extends from the abdomen to the back and shoulder. A suprascapular nerve block is used in the treatment of the referred shoulder pain due to a metastatic hepatoma, but the effectiveness of the treatment has been limited because of its short duration. Recently, the advent of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) lesioning has proved a successful treatment for chronic refractory pain involving the peripheral nerves. We experienced a case of a 66-year-old male patient complaining of referred right shoulder pain due to metastatic liver cancer, which was relieved after PRF lesioning of the suprascapular nerve.

Naproxen-induced Immune Thrombocytopenia: A case report / 대한통증학회지

Hundreds of drugs have been implicated as the causes of antibody-mediated thrombocytopenia. Naproxen is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and it is generally considered to be safe with few hematological side effects such as thrombocytopenia. In this case, severe thrombocytopenia associated with petechia and epistaxis appeared after initiation of naproxen therapy in the 59-year-old man. We report here on a case of severe thrombocytopenia that was recognized at 10 days after the use of naproxen, and the patient rapidly recovered to a normal platelet count without bleeding symptoms or any complications, although immunoglobulin or steroid was not used.