Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Case Reports
Percutaneous Translaminar Facet Cyst Rupture and Epidural Access-Description of a Novel Technique.
Synovial cysts of the lumbar zygapophysial joints can be treated by percutaneous injection of corticosteroids, with distension and rupture of the cyst. Some cysts can be difficult to access, particularly when they lie deep in relation to the lamina. This technical report describes a fluoroscopy-guided technique for accessing sublaminar pathology. Crucial to the safety of the technique is visualization of the ventral margin of the lamina using a contralateral oblique view, and controlling and limiting the insertion of the needle such that only its tip passes the lamina.
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. Despite modern antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated neuropathy is one of the most prevalent, disabling and treatment-resistant complications of HIV disease. The presence and intensity of distal neuropathic pain is not fully explained by the degree of peripheral nerve damage. A better understanding of brain structure in HIV distal neuropathic pain may help explain why some patients with HIV neuropathy report pain while the majority does not. Previously, we reported that more intense distal neuropathic pain was associated with smaller total cerebral cortical gray matter volumes. The objective of this study was to determine which parts of the cortex are smaller. ⋯ . The posterior cingulate is thought to be involved in inhibiting the perception of painful stimuli. Mechanistically a smaller posterior cingulate cortex structure may be related to reduced anti-nociception contributing to increased distal neuropathic pain.