Facet joint synovial cysts are uncommon intraspinal abnormalities, which appear to be secondary to degenerative changes of the joints. They can cause chronic back pain and radiculopathy, as shown in spinal stenosis. When symptomatic cysts fail to respond to conservative measurements, surgical decompression is known as the standard treatment. Percutaneous steroid injections, and distension of the cysts under fluoroscopic guidance, may be a minimally invasive treatment option. Here, the case of a patient with a symptomatic L5-S1 facet joint synovial cyst and left S1 radiculopathy, who responded satisfactorily to percutaneous treatment, is presented.
Back Pain ; Decompression, Surgical ; Humans ; Joints ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Stenosis ; Synovial Cyst* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Herein is described the successful treatment of complex regional pain syndrome type II with the combination treatment of spinal cord stimulation and radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the lumbar sympathetic ganglion. A 62 years old male patient, suffering from CRPS type II in his left lower extremity, visited our pain clinic. Medication and nerve blockade produced only slight improvement in his symptoms and signs. Therefore, a linear type spinal cord simulator was inserted into the thoracic epidural space, using a non-surgical percutaneous approach, with the cephalad lead located at the T11 level. Two months later, the repositioning of the electrode to the T12 level for more effective pain control, with radiofrequency thermocoagulation of lumbar sympathetic ganglion also performed at the left L2 and 3 levels for the control of trophic change. These resulted in significant pain relief and decreased trophic change, with no complications, after which the patient was able to resume a normal life.
Causalgia ; Electrocoagulation* ; Electrodes ; Epidural Space ; Ganglia, Sympathetic* ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Block ; Pain Clinics ; Spinal Cord Stimulation* ; Spinal Cord*

Although the incidence of epidural abscess is rare, once it occurs, its high morbidity rate and high mortality rate create a great deal of serious sequalae for these patient, if this condition is not diagnosed in time. We experienced a case of epidural abscess after performing percutaneous vertebroplasty in a patient who had a lumbar spinal compression fracture. This case will remind the pain clinician of the possibility of epidural abscess after such a procedure.
Epidural Abscess* ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Vertebroplasty*

Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is one of the most widely used treatment modalities for a broad range of disorders, including otolaryngologic indications such as Meniere's disease and sudden hearing loss. We present a case of a vertiginous attack following SGB for the management of Meniere's disease. A 31-year-old female, suffering from Meniere's disease, underwent repeated right side SGBs with 6 ml of 1% mepivacaine after negative aspiration tests for blood. The eleventh block was performed in the usual manner. Several seconds after injection, she showed agitation, anxiety, nystagmus, and left-sided tinnitus. Two minutes later, her tinnitus and nystagmus were resolved. Fifteen minutes after injection, she experienced acute onset of severe vertigo, nausea, and vomiting. However, her symptoms were gradually alleviated within two hours.
Adult ; Anxiety ; Dihydroergotamine ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; Humans ; Meniere Disease ; Mepivacaine ; Nausea ; Stellate Ganglion* ; Tinnitus ; Vertigo ; Vomiting

The most common and cumbersome complication of herpes zoster is postherpetic neuralgia, which typically presents as neuropathic pain. However, the painful symptoms of the postherpetic period might be associated with other causes, such as skin lesions of the herpes zoster. We report a case of a hypertrophic scar that developed in the lesion of an acute herpes zoster patient and was accompanied by pain.
Chronic Pain* ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Neuralgia ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Skin ; Triamcinolone

Zoster sine herpete (ZSH) is a varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation without a zoster that is difficult to diagnose early after onset. This study examined 12 patients who presented with intercostal neuralgia, had no history of trauma, cutaneous eruption and no scar of a herpes zoster on the lesion. Two patients had a vertebral compression fracture. Two patients had a history of a zoster in the other site. No other suspicious findings were observed. Ten of the twelve patients were checked for the IgG and IgM varicellar zoster virus antibody. All the patients tested positive to the Ig G antibody test and only one patient tested positive to the IgM antibody test. One patient was confirmed to have ZSH and the other patients were suspected of having ZSH. All the patients were treated for postherpetic neuralgia, resulting in a significant decrease in the intercostal neuralgia.
Cicatrix ; Fractures, Compression ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Neuralgia* ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Zoster Sine Herpete

Hiccups are due to an intermittent clonic spasm of the diaphragm. In most cases, hiccups are self-limiting disease, but persistent hiccups may be related to the presence of serious underlying systemic disease. Two patients who had persistent hiccups that were not controled by conventional methods and medications were referred to the pain clinic. We administered a single oral medication of gabapentin, and then the hiccups disappeared in both cases. We concluded that gabapentin should be considered as an alternative therapy to control persistent or intractable hiccup. It could be particularly useful for those patients with solid malignancies, either alone or as an "add-on therapy" with other oral agents.
Diaphragm ; Hiccup* ; Humans ; Pain Clinics ; Spasm

This report describes a case of dizziness in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia that was caused by a vestibular schwannoma. A 60-year-old man with a history of pain on his left cheek, chin, molar and tongue for 5 months was diagnosed as suffering with trigeminal neuralgia of the left mandibular nerve, and this was caused by a left vestibular schwannoma. The diagnosis of the tumor was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and so gamma knife surgery was performed 1 month later. At that time, the patient had been referred to the pain clinic due to allodynia on the tongue and gingival, and hypesthesia was also present on the left half of the face. Trigeminal nerve block with dehydrogenated alcohol and stellate ganglion block with 1% mepivacaine were performed and oral medication with diphenylhydantoin was started. The symptoms were alleviated after nerve block and oral medication. Dizziness, blurred vision and ataxia then developed from the 13th hospital day. We considered the symptoms as a side effect of diphenylhydantoin and we reduced the dose of diphenylhydantoin. However, the symptoms grew worse. Another brain MRI showed a slight increase of the tumor size and a mass effect with displacement of the adjacent organs, and hydrocephalus was also noted. This case shows the importance of considering the secondary symptoms that are due to brain tumor while treating trigeminal neuralgia. The changes of the brain tumors should also be considered along with the presence of new side effects.
Anticonvulsants* ; Ataxia ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cheek ; Chin ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Hyperalgesia ; Hypesthesia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mandibular Nerve ; Mepivacaine ; Middle Aged ; Molar ; Nerve Block ; Neuroma, Acoustic* ; Pain Clinics ; Phenytoin ; Stellate Ganglion ; Tongue ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was first attempted by Shearly et al for the relief of intractable pain. A spinal cord stimulator has traditionally been used for failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) angina pectoris, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and ischemic pain in the extremity. However, the complications associated with the use of a spinal cord stimulator, such as wound infection, hematoma, lead migration and device malfunction; make its long term application difficult. Here, our experience of an interesting case, in which intractable right leg pain was controlled using a spinal cord stimulator placed in the left epidural space, is reported, with a review of the literature.
Angina Pectoris ; Epidural Space* ; Extremities ; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome ; Hematoma ; Leg* ; Pain, Intractable ; Spinal Cord Stimulation ; Spinal Cord* ; Wound Infection

Acute viral meningitis and myositis are rare complications of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation. A 71-years-old immunocompetent man, who presented with lower back pain radiating to the left lower extremities, developed vesicles on the L5 dermatomal area. The next day, he had complained of aberrant vesicles on the trunk, face and scalp, with generalized myalgia, headache and dizziness. He was confirmed with VZV meningitis and myositis, as demonstrated by the presence of VZV DNA in the blood and cerebral spinal fluid using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. PCR has been used in patients with a VZV infection associated neurological symptoms, and provides a useful tool for the early diagnosis of VZV-associated neurological disease. The patient was treated with bed rest, with intravenous acyclovir for the VZV infection, and intravenous Patient-controlled Analgesia for pain management and the prevention of postherpetic neuralgia. When he visited the outpatient department 3 months later, the skin lesion, leg pain, headache and myalgia had all improved, without sequelae. Here, this case is reported, with a discussion of the relevant literature on its diagnosis and management.
Acyclovir ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Bed Rest ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; DNA* ; Early Diagnosis ; Headache ; Herpes Zoster* ; Herpesvirus 3, Human* ; Humans ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Lower Extremity ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Viral ; Myalgia ; Myositis ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Outpatients ; Pain Management ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Scalp ; Skin