Complete recovery of herpes zoster radiculopathy based on electrodiagnostic study:A case report

BACKGROUND Herpes zoster is a painful infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus.Herpes zoster radiculopathy,which is a type of segmental zoster paresis,can complicate the disease and cause motor weakness.This complication should be considered when a patient with a rash complains of acute-onset motor weakness,and the diagnosis can be verified via electrodiagnostic study.CASE SUMMARY A 64-year-old female with a history of asthma presented to the emergency department with stabbing pain,an itching sensation,and a rash on the right anterior shoulder that had begun 5 d prior.Physical examination revealed multiple erythematous grouped vesicles in the right C4-5 and T1 dermatome regions.Because herpes zoster was suspected,the patient immediately received intravenous acyclovir.On the third hospital day,she complained of motor weakness in the right upper extremity.Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine revealed mild intervertebral disc herniation at C4-C5 without evidence of nerve root compression.On the 12th hospital day,electrodiagnostic study revealed right cervical radiculopathy,mainly in the C5/6 roots.Six months later,monoparesis resolved,and follow-up electrodiagnostic study was normal.CONCLUSION This case emphasizes that clinicians should consider the possibility of postherpetic paresis,such as herpes zoster radiculopathy,and that electrodiagnostic study is useful for diagnosis and follow-up.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy treatment of painful hematoma in the calf:A case report

BACKGROUND Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) can be applied to variousmusculoskeletal conditions including calcific tendinitis. Muscle injuries can leadto hematomas, and unabsorbed hematomas sometimes cause pain. We report acase of painful hematoma successfully treated with ESWT. To our knowledge, thisis the first reported case of painful intramuscular hematoma treated with ESWT.CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old man visited the outpatient department for left calf pain withswelling that had persisted since he slipped two weeks prior. The calf pain hadpersisted and was rated visual analog scale 7. On physical examination, there wasa localized, stiff, ovoid mass on his left upper posterior calf. The pain wasaggravated by dorsiflexion of the left ankle or weight-bearing on the left foot.Initial diagnostic ultrasonography showed a hematoma in the left gastrocnemiusmuscle;its texture was firm with low heterogeneity. We applied ESWT to thehematoma. His pain decreased immediately to a visual analog scale 3, and themass was softened. The texture of the hematoma became more heterogeneous onultrasonography. Due to planned overseas travel, he returned three months afterthe initial visit to report that the pain and swelling were dramatically relievedafter ESWT.CONCLUSION We propose that painful hematomas could be a new indication for ESWT. Furtherinvestigation on the effects of ESWT for hematomas is needed.

Tamsulosin-induced life-threatening hypotension in a patient with spinal cord injury:A case report

BACKGROUND Tamsulosin,a selectiveα1-adrenergic receptor antagonist,is commonly used for treating neurogenic bladder in patients with spinal cord injury(SCI).No severe adverse events have been described with such tamsulosin use.To our knowledge,we report the first case of severe life-threatening hypotension as an adverse effect of tamsulosin in a person with SCI.Therefore,we report this case to inform that this severe adverse effect of tamsulosin can occur when treating patients with SCI.CASE SUMMARY A 59-year-old woman was diagnosed with cervical spinal cord myelopathy and was classified as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale D,neurological level of injury C3.Because she suffered from voiding difficulty due to neurogenic bladder,we prescribed tamsulosin.Her vital signs remained stable,but occasional hypotensive symptoms followed defecation.We reduced the dose of tamsulosin,but after administering tamsulosin for 9 d,she experienced lifethreatening hypotension with no evidence of hypovolemic shock,neurogenic shock,cardiogenic shock,or septic shock.A hypotensive condition induced by tamsulosin was the suspected cause,and her symptoms could be associated with adverse effects of tamsulosin.As symptoms resolved after stopping tamsulosin,and no other reason was found,we concluded that tamsulosin was the cause of her symptoms.CONCLUSION Caution for severe hypotension is needed when administering tamsulosin for neurogenic bladder in a patient with SCI.

Is mannitol combined with furosemide a new treatment for refractory lymphedema?A case report

BACKGROUND Mannitol is a hyperosmolar agent and the combination of mannitol and furosemide is a widely used treatment for intracranial pressure control.Considering the hypertonic properties of mannitol to move water out of intracellular spaces,we hypothesized that mannitol combined with furosemide could relieve focal tissue swelling in refractory lymphedema.CASE SUMMARY A 90-year-old female had been diagnosed with intracranial hemorrhage and received a combination of mannitol and furosemide for intracranial pressure control.Independent of the intracranial hemorrhage,she had refractory lymphedema of the left lower extremity since 1998.Remarkably,after receiving the mannitol and furosemide,the patient’s lower extremity lymphedema improved dramatically.After the mannitol and furosemide were discontinued,the lymphedema worsened in spite of complete decongestive therapy(CDT)and intermittent pneumatic compression treatment(IPC).To identify the presumed effect of mannitol and furosemide on the lymphedema,these agents were resumed,and the lymphedema improved again.CONCLUSION The present case raises the possibility that a combination of mannitol and furosemide might be considered another effective therapeutic option for refractory lymphedema when CDT and IPC are ineffective.