• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.210-214
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• 2014

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of different primary reasons for endodontic referrals and the clinical symptoms of the referred cases. Materials and Methods: Clinical data of total endodontic treatment cases (1,014 teeth) including endodontic referral cases (224 teeth) between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012, at Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, were investigated retrospectively. The one major reason for referral, the clinical symptoms, and the resulting treatment procedures of referral cases were recorded. The percentages of clinical symptoms of the endodontic referral cases and the total endodontic treatment cases were compared by ${\chi}^2$ test for each symptom. Results: Persistent pain was the most frequent reason for endodontic referral (29.5%), followed by presence of gingival swelling and sinus tract (24.1%), and apical radiolucency (12.9%). Referrals in cases involving endodontic difficulties such as canal calcification, broken instruments, post, perforation, and resorption were less than 5.0%, respectively. The percentages of four major clinical symptoms of pain, apical radiolucency, previous endodontic treatment, and gingival swelling and sinus tract were significantly higher in the endodontic referral cases than those in the total endodontic cases (p = 0.001). Among the included referral cases, 72.8% were treated with nonsurgical endodontic treatment only. Teeth other than the referred teeth were diagnosed as the origin of the problem in 5.8% of the referrals. Conclusions: The high prevalence of pain, apical radiolucency, previous treatment, and gingival swelling and sinus tract in endodontic referral cases suggest that these symptoms may be what general practitioners consider to be difficult and refer to endodontists.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.455-460
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• 2007

Majority of toothache is caused by abnormality of pulpal or periodontal tissues. However, there are numerous nonodontogenic sources that may be responsible for pain felt in the tooth. Nonodontogenic toothache may result from muscle, maxillary sinus, neuropathic, neurovascular, even cardiac and psychogenic problems. Myofascial pain is one of the most common abnormality characterized by palpation of a hard band which acts as the trigger point that causes stiffness and fatigue of the muscle, referral pain in tooth, tension-type headache, and hyperalgesia. Masseter muscle particularly induce referral pain in maxillary and mandibular molars. This case reported the treatment of the pain in right mandibular molar originated from myofascial pain of the right masseter. The pain is improved by general and reversible treatments such as muscle exercise, physical therapy, and medication. Nonodontogenic toothache should undergo proper differential diagnosis in order to avoid unnecessary dental treatments, such as endodontic, periodontic treatment, and tooth extraction, which would fail to alleviate the symptom of the patient.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.146-150
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• 2005

Background: Recently, the number of patients visiting pain clinics has been increasing with the augmented concerns of those patients about the management of their pain. We conducted this study in order to elucidate the characteristics of patients visiting pain clinics and to determine a method to further raise their awareness about pain treatment. Methods: We reviewed 1,424 new patients who visited our pain clinic from March 2003 to December 2004. We analyzed these patients according to their age and sex, treatment method before visiting the pain clinic, coexisting disease, chief complaint and pain location, resident district, route of visiting pain clinic, and degree of impairment due to pain by use of questionnaire. Results: In age distribution, the largest proportion (23.5%) was in their 50's. Most patients (64.0%) had received treatment in an oriental medicine clinic before visiting the pain clinic. The most common coexisting disease was hypertension (20.3%) and low back pain was the most common chief complaint (68.3%). Most of the patients lived in Gyeonggido (87%) and most visited our pain clinic on the recommendation of other patients who had visited our pain clinic before. Conclusions: We need to guide pain patients to undergo proper treatment much earlier using patient education or a referral system. Moreover, we should be more careful in patients with diabetes mellitus, and should have greater concern in the treatment of low back pain.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.57 no.8
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• pp.428-436
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• 2019

In cases of a patient referral, the general dentist should communicate the patient's dental information as clearly as possible to the specialist to whom he/she is referring his/her patient. For this reason, it is necessary to write a referral letter in an accurate and complete manner. The purpose of this study is to analyze the referral letters of patients who are referred to the department of conservative dentistry in a dental university hospital. From January, 2017 to December, 2018, we gathered the information of the patients who were referred to the department of conservative dentistry in a dental university hospital with referral letter. We evaluated the fidelity of a total of 750 referral letters and recorded the information of the referral dentist and the dental clinic. The relationship between each item and fidelity was analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program. The analysis of the contents of the referral letters yielded the following results: The fidelity of the referral letter was higher when the patient was referred during the root canal treatment, or when there was a root canal filling or when there was pain during chewing. The fidelity of referral letter was low in cases where the referring clinic is close to and has cooperative relationship with dental university hospital. Among the factors affecting the fidelity, the year of graduation of the referral dentist was the most influential. This study confirmed the fact that the clinical practice of writing patient referral letters still leaves much to be desired. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to create more clear and standardized guidelines for writing referral letters.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2000

This study was carried out among 34 patients who visited Yonsei Dental Hospital from 1996. 1. to 1999. 5 for trigeminal neuralgia. By studying the patient's treatment prior to visiting our hospital, features of trigeminal neuralgia, treatment process of trigeminal neuralgia, prognosis of treatment, consultation with other professions and involvement of surgery, etc., the results are as follows: 1. 67.7% of onset age range from 40s to 60s, and average age is 50.2. 2. Ratio of right to left involvement is 1:2.1, male to female ratio is 1:1.9. 3. Occurrence rate of each branch is V3(44.1%), V2(11.8%), V1+V2+V3(11.8), V1+V2(8.8%). 4. Treatments prior to admission to our hospital are extraction(5.9%), endodontic treatment(5.9%), medication(11.8%), Oriental Medicine treatment(5.9%). 5. Routes of admittance to our hospital are by their preference(55.9%), local clinic referral(32.4%), E.N.T referral(5.9%), Neurology referral(5.9%). 6. 70.6% of patients treated at our hospital who were relieved of symptoms, were referred to Neurology(66.7%) and Pain Clinic(33.3%) for the reason of relapse, side effects of the drug itself, incomplete relief of pain. 7. 2 patients who were referred to medical part showed brain vessels contacting trigeminal nerve root on Brain MRangiography. But pain is being controlled by medication and no specific surgical procedure was carried out. The results show that 17.7% of patients admitted received inappropriate early treatment. In order to relieve tooth loss and patient's psychologic stress due to inappropriate treatment, precise differential diagnosis must be made among local teeth disease and idiopathic facial pain. Medication may show side effects of the drug itself, incomplete relief of pain or relapse of symptoms. Therefore, to treat trigeminal neuralgia appropriately by drug injection, surgery or radiation therapy, consultations among dentists, neurologists and anesthesiologists are required.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.341-347
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• 2007

Pancreatic pseudocyst is one of the most common pancreatic mass lesions developed following acute or chronic pancreatitis. Two dogs were presented with nonspecific clinical signs such as abdominal pain, vomiting and depression and diagnosed as pancreatic pseudocysts through percutaneous ultrasound-guided aspiration. Pancreatic pseudocyst may contain pancreatic juice, so leads the deteriorate state of patient through pertinent inflammation and autodigestion of pancreas. In this study, the clinical signs and pancreatic lesion were improved after aspiration. Percutaneous ultrasound-guided aspiration can provide the diagnostic information through cytology and lipase and amylase concentration, and be selected as the first choice for treatment.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.264-270
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• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) presented in a tertiary medical center, characteristics of patients and results of the diagnostic work-up together with an outcome during the follow up. Methods: This was a retrospective, single center, observational study including all patients who were diagnosed with FGID based on Rome III criteria from January to December 2015 in tertiary medical center. Results: Overall 294 children were included (mean age, 8.9 years [range, 1-18 years]; 165 females). Majority had functional constipation (35.4%), followed by functional abdominal pain (30.6%), irritable bowel syndrome (17.0%), functional dyspepsia (12.6%), functional nausea (3.4%) and abdominal migraine (1.0%). Regression model found that only significant factor associated with improvement of symptoms is the establishment of the functional diagnosis at the first visit (hazard ratio, 2.163; 95% confidence inverval, 1.029-4.544). There was no association between improvement of symptoms and presence of alarm signs/symptoms (weight loss, nocturnal symptoms and severe vomiting) at diagnosis. Furthermore, in pain symptoms (functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia) no treatment positively correlated with pain improvement. Conclusion: Regardless of the initial diagnosis of FGID, positive diagnosis at the first visit increases a chance for resolution of symptoms.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.254-257
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• 2012

Background: Elderly patients visiting pain clinic may be at greater risk of misunderstanding the explanation because of age-related cognitive decline. Video instruction may provide a consistent from of teaching in a visual and realistic manner. We evaluated the effect of educational video on the patient understanding and satisfaction in a group of geriatric patients visiting pain clinic. Methods: Ninety two patients aged more than 60 years old who were scheduled for transforaminal epidural block were recruited. After exposure to either video or paper instruction process, each patient was asked 5-item comprehension questions, overall satisfaction and preference question. During follow-up period, number of outpatient referral-line call for further explanation was counted. Results: We observed significantly better comprehension in the video education compared with paper instruction (P < 0.001). Patient satisfaction was also higher in the video group (P = 0.015), and patients visiting pain clinic were more preferred video instruction (P < 0.001). Proportion of referral-line call for further explanation were similar (P = 0.302). Conclusions: Video approach to instruction process before consent improves treatment comprehension in geriatric patient visiting pain clinic.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 1991

This study was intended to review comprehensively the articles related to temporomandibular joint disorder patients and to analyze psychoanalytically the case with temporomandibular dysfunction and bruxism as a symptom of hysterical conversion disorder. As a result, the author found that , in the aspect of psychoanalysis, the temporomandibular problem and bruxism was a kind of symptom of emotional conflict being converted to the face. I would like to emphasize that the referral process and the ability to work as a therapeutic team including dentist and psychiatrist can enhance the probability of successful treatment for several types of patients.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.237-240
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• 2014

A 12-year-old, intact, female Alaskan malamute presented with severe spinal pain and hind limb lameness. On radiographs, a round, demarcated lytic lesion was identified in the central fifth lumbar vertebra. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the lesion involving the spinal cord appeared hypointense on T1 weighted, hyperintense on T2 weighted, heterogeneously enhanced on post-contrast T1 weighted, and hypointense on GE images. A focal, small, ill-defined, lytic lesion was also observed radiographically in the sixth lumbar vertebra, it appeared as a focal hyperintense lesion on T1 weighted, T2 weighted, and GE images and showed focal enhancement on post-contrast T1 weighted images. She was euthanized owing to extreme pain and severe and progressive clinical signs; a plasmacytoma was histopthologically diagnosed. This report presents an unusual type of spinal tumor, plasmacytoma. MRI is a useful modality to evaluate the anatomic location and extension of spinal lesions.