Novel ultrasound-guided supraclavicular stellate ganglion block.

INTRODUCTION: Stellate ganglion block (SGB) provides diagnostic and therapeutic benefits in pain syndromes in the head, neck, and upper extremity, including complex regional pain syndrome Types I and II, Raynaud's disease, hyperhidrosis, arterial embolism in the region of the arm. METHODS: We present a novel ultrasound-guided supraclavicular stellate ganglion block. Considering the existing anatomical structures of the targeted area. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We hope that we can provide fewer complications and additional benefits with this new approach.

Indications and Future Perspectives of a Minimally Invasive Ultrasound-guided Double-needle Joint Lavage.

Arthroscopic joint lavage was proposed as a treatment option for different joint conditions such as septic or inflammatory arthritis. Ultrasound (US) is today considered a fundamental tool in musculoskeletal diseases as for diagnostic and guide for interventional procedures such as synovial fluid sampling and drug injections. To enable faster recovery and to have an alternative to surgery, to reduce risks and costs, we performed an US-guided double-needle lavage of the shoulder joint. Here, we present two different clinical cases, the first with septic arthritis and the second with recalcitrant gouty arthritis, successfully treated with this technique.

Points to consider for skin ulcers in systemic sclerosis.

This article discusses points to consider when undertaking a clinical trial to test therapy for skin ulcers in SSc. A validated definition of skin ulcers should be used if available. Defining a uniform SSc patient population, including consideration of disease duration, history of digital ulcers and capillaroscopic patterns, is important. Excluding confounding factors such as infection, calcinosis and trauma should be strongly considered, or at least accounted for, in defining patients. Outcome measures such as time to healing, prevention of new ulcers, function, pain and objective measures such as US, laser Doppler and thermography can be considered as outcome measures, although their validation has not yet been achieved and efforts may be needed to validate them before use. Likewise, biomarkers should be considered or consideration should be given to storing serum, plasma or cells for possible future analysis. A pre-planned analysis is important and should include consideration of missing data.

Points to consider in renal involvement in systemic sclerosis.

This article discusses points to consider when undertaking a clinical trial to test therapy for renal involvement in SSc, not including scleroderma renal crisis. Double-blind, randomized controlled trials vs placebo or standard background therapy should be strongly considered. Inclusion criteria should consider a pre-specified range of renal functions or stratification of renal function. Gender and age limitations are probably not necessary. Concomitant medications including vasodilators, immunosuppressants and endothelin receptor antagonists and confounding illnesses such as diabetes, kidney stones, hypertension and heart failure need to be considered. A measure of renal function should be strongly considered, while time to dialysis, mortality, prevention of scleroderma renal crisis and progression of renal disease can also be considered, although they remain to be validated. Detailed, pre-planned analysis should be strongly considered and should include accounting for missing data.

Women With Primary Sjögren Syndrome and With Non-Sjögren Sicca Syndrome Show Similar Vulvar Histopathologic and Immunohistochemical Changes.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and the prevalence of histopathologic and immunohistochemical changes in vulvar biopsies, in women with Primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS) and non-Sjögren Sicca Syndrome (nS-SS). Twenty-one women with pSS and 11 with nS-SS (investigated by xerophtalmia and xerostomia tests, biopsy of minor salivary glands, gynecological history, and gynecologic symptoms score) underwent vulvar biopsies, evaluated for histopathologic and immunohistochemicalchanges, and compared with those obtained from 26 patients with lichen sclerosus. An inflammatory infiltrate was present in 31/32 biopsies (96.9%); biopsies from pSS patients showed a mild infiltrate in 10 cases and a moderate infiltrate in 11 cases; and patients with nS-SS had a mild infiltrate in 8 biopsies and moderate infiltrate in the other 2 biopsies. By immunohistochemistry, the infiltrate was composed predominantly of T lymphocytes (CD3), CD20 B cells were sparse and mean CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio was 1.5. No differences were observed between the grading of the inflammatory infiltrate in nS-SS and pSS; no correlation was shown between vulvar inflammatory infiltrate score (mild or moderate) and salivary glands inflammatory score. No differences were found in gynecologic symptoms, as well as in clinical and demographical characteristics between patients with mild and those with moderate vulvar inflammatory score. A higher prevalence of moderate inflammatory infiltrate was observed in biopsies from women with lichen sclerosus than in pSS and nS-SS patients (61.5% vs. 27.5%, P=0.02). Women with pSS and nS-SS show a high and similar prevalence of vulvar inflammatory infiltrate. A gynecologic evaluation is needed both in pSS and nS-SS to assess genital involvement and, eventually, to address a therapy targeted to genital symptoms.

A Novel Two-Step Ultrasound-Guided Technique for Anesthesia and Postsurgery Analgesia in Gluteal Augmentation Surgery.

In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for gluteal augmentation and reshaping surgeries with intramuscular implants which are becoming increasingly popular. Until now, this surgery was mainly performed under general anesthesia, but recently locoregional anesthesia techniques, such as tumescent local anesthesia, are being applied more and more. Today, the use of ultrasound for locoregional anesthesia and analgesia allows us to perform techniques that are increasingly precise and burdened with lower risks. In this report, we present a novel two-step ultrasound-guided technique combining a botox injection in the gluteus maximus four weeks before surgery and tumescent anesthesia with a cluneal nerve block. Furthermore, the combination of anesthetic and analgesic techniques can guarantee a better result both in terms of surgical execution of the intervention and in reducing pain and improving patient comfort in the postoperative period.

Scanning before injection for costochondritis: A case report of ultrasound imaging of Hodgkin's lymphoma with chest wall invasion.

Non-traumatic costochondritis, which manifests as pain and tenderness over the anterior chest wall, may be associated with inflammatory arthritis affecting the upper costochondral and sternocostal joints. Local corticosteroid injection is helpful for recalcitrant cases and ultrasound guidance may not be routinely used by experienced rheumatologists. We report a female patient with pain over the right upper parasternal area with gradual swelling near the first costosternal junction. The ultrasound examination revealed a hyper-vascular mass, which was proven to be Hodgkin's lymphoma. We want to emphasize the importance of using ultrasound for guiding injection for costochondral lesions which facilitated the detection of a tumor invading the chest wall in our case.

Phenolysis for Advanced Shoulder Osteoarthritis: A Case Series of a Novel Ultrasound-Guided Approach to Anterior and Posterior Glenohumeral Articular Nerve Branches.

INTRODUCTION: The shoulder is one of the joints most affected by osteoarthritis, with a prevalence of almost 20% in adults over 65 years of age. Various treatments have been proposed to control osteoarthritis pain, including radiofrequency, pulsed and thermal, and recently cryoanalgesia. We propose in this series of cases a new approach to analgesic therapy with chemical denervation with phenol. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Patients who underwent phenolysis for shoulder osteoarthritis at our institutions in Italy and Australia between August 2022 and May 2023 were included. All patients included in our report provided written consent for publication. This chemical neurolysis technique consisted of two injections. First, the anterior shoulder capsule was denervated by a modified deep SHAC (Shoulder Anterior Capsule) approach to cover the anterior terminal articular branches of the axillary nerve, lateral pectoral nerve, and subscapularis nerve. Second, the posterior shoulder capsule was denervated by a posterior glenoid approach to cover the terminal articular branches of the suprascapular nerve (SSN).  Results: We included a total of 11 patients in this case series. Ten of 11 patients were affected by shoulder osteoarthritis, of which three had rotator cuff tendinopathy and three had full-thickness cuff tears. One patient had chronic subluxation of a shoulder prosthesis. After treatment, all patients significantly reduced pain immediately after treatment and, two weeks later, recovered joint movement and improved quality of life. No adverse events or loss of motor function following treatment. CONCLUSION: We presented a novel chemical approach to shoulder denervation, which was shown to be another effective way of improving pain and function in advanced glenohumeral arthritis.

Ultrasound-Guided Interventions for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment, and recently, ultrasound-guided perineural injection (UPIT) and percutaneous flexor retinaculum release (UPCTR) have been utilized to treat CTS. However, no systematic review or meta-analysis has included both intervention types of ultrasound-guided interventions for CTS. Therefore, we performed this review using four databases (i.e., PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane) to evaluate the quality of evidence, effectiveness, and safety of the published studies on ultrasound-guided interventions in CTS. Among sixty studies selected for systemic review, 20 randomized treatment comparison or controlled studies were included in six meta-analyses. Steroid UPIT with ultrasound guidance outperformed that with landmark guidance. UPIT with higher-dose steroids outperformed that with lower-dose steroids. UPIT with 5% dextrose in water (D5W) outperformed control injection and hydrodissection with high-volume D5W was superior to that with low-volume D5W. UPIT with platelet-rich plasma outperformed various control treatments. UPCTR outperformed open surgery in terms of symptom improvement but not functional improvement. No serious adverse events were reported in the studies reviewed. The findings suggest that both UPIT and UPCTR may provide clinically important benefits and appear safe. Further treatment comparison studies are required to determine comparative therapeutic efficacy.

Rapid and Sustained Effect of Ozone Major Autohemotherapy for Raynaud and Hand Edema in Systemic Sclerosis Patient: A Case Report.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex disease characterized by vascular injury with endothelial cell and platelet activation, immune dysregulation with inflammatory cytokines and fibroblast activation. The Raynaud phenomenon and puffy hands and fingers are common early manifestations of the disease that have a negative impact on patients' quality of life. Vasodilators such as calcium channel blockers, PDE5 inhibitors, and prostacyclin analogs are recommended treatments, but they often have side effects and are not always effective. Ozone is an oxygen donor, an immunomodulator, an inducer of antioxidant enzymes and the endothelial nitric oxide synthase, a metabolic booster, and a stem cell activator. I report the case of a scleroderma patient treated effectively with autohemotherapy with ozone and a clear reduction of Raynaud's episodes and resolution of the edema of the hands. Furthermore, the capillaroscopic evaluation showed a rapid modification of the microcirculation which remained unchanged for months. Ozone therapy is effective to treat the Raynaud phenomenon and hand edema and should be considered, at least, as a complementary therapy to the standard of care, especially in patients who are unresponsive or with frequent adverse drug reactions. Further studies will be needed to confirm the efficacy of ozone therapy in scleroderma vasculopathy.

Pulsed Radiofrequency for Postherpetic Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Case Report.

Trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia has been reported to cause chronic headaches and facial pain. There are various modalities of treatment ranging from pharmacological to surgical treatment. However, these are frequently accompanied by undesirable side effects and minimal efficacy. Pulsed radiofrequency has been used to treat chronic pain but it is often seen as an unconventional treatment for postherpetic neuralgia. Nonetheless, the literature supports its use for alleviating pain with minimal complications. This case demonstrates that pulsed radiofrequency can successfully treat intractable pain secondary to postherpetic neuralgia affecting all three trigeminal dermatomes.

Postoperative Analgesia and Palliative Care of Peng Block for Terminal Osteosarcoma.

Palliative care involves patients with a high incidence of chronic pain and inadequate treatment related to opioid abuse. In terminal patients, the side effects of opioids may result in lower quality of life due to their deleterious immunosuppression and gastrointestinal effects. In our routine clinical practice, we consider the ultrasound-guided PENG block as a palliative analgesic technique to improve end-of-life care to terminal patients.

Beyond the Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) Block: A Narrative Review.

The pericapsular nerve group block shows promising results in providing pain relief with a potential motor-sparing effect in hip fracture patients. In this narrative review, we analyze the published articles, and we describe the structures achieved when performing the block. We conducted a literature search to identify the articles performing the pericapsular nerve group block, in the adult or paediatric population, from November 1, 2018, to May 15, 2021. Of the 68 selected articles, 38 were considered eligible, including 1 double-blinded randomized comparative trial, 4 observational studies, and 33 case series and case reports. The technique was described in both acute and chronic pain settings, mainly performed as single shot. All studies described effective analgesia. Quadriceps weakness was experienced in some patients. It has been described as easy to perform and has a low rate of complications. It lacks, however, adequately powered randomized controlled trials to assess its clinical value and efficacy.

Permeable spaces between glenohumeral ligaments as potential gateways for rapid regional anesthesia of the shoulder.

Shoulder pain is a highly prevalent condition, often resulting in major life limitations, and requiring effective treatments. In this work, we explore the anatomical basis of a proposed approach to the regional anesthesia of the shoulder through a single injection under the subscapularis muscle. Bilateral experimental injections in shoulders from body donors (Radiolar ® and Methylene-Blue) under the subscapular muscle (n = 11) and cadaveric systematic dissections of other 35 shoulders from body donors were performed. Injectate spread was then qualitatively assessed. Long axis of permeable foramina in the anterior aspect of the shoulder joint capsule was measured in centimeters using a digital caliper. More than 40% of specimens had at least one permeable space (Weitbrech and/or Rouvière foramina) communicating the subscapular bursa and the articular space. We further demonstrate that an ultrasonography-guided injection under the subscapularis muscle allows the spread of the injectate through the anterior, inferior and posterodorsal walls of the articular capsule, the subacromial bursa, and the bicipital groove, as well as into the articular space for some injections. The odds of accidental intraarticular injection decrease when injecting with low volumes. This anatomical study provides a detailed description of foramina between glenohumeral ligaments. Furthermore, the data shown in this work supports, as a proof of concept, a safe alternative for rapid and specific blockade of terminal sensory branches innervating the shoulder joint capsule.

Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Injection of Botulinum Toxin, Ozone, and Lidocaine in Piriformis Syndrome.

Background: Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a painful musculoskeletal condition characterized by a deep gluteal pain that may radiate to the posterior thigh and leg. This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of ozone and BTX to lidocaine injection in treating piriformis syndrome that was resistant to medication and/or physical therapy. Study design: Between November 2018 and August 2019, we involved eighty-four subjects diagnosed with piriformis syndrome in a double-blinded, prospective, randomized comparative study to receive an ultrasound-guided injection of lidocaine (control group), botulinum toxin A, or local ozone (28 patients each group) in the belly of the piriformis muscle. Pain condition evaluated by the visual analog score (VAS) was used as a primary outcome, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) as a secondary outcome, before, at one month, two months, three months, and six months following the injection. Results: The majority (58.3%) of patients were male, while (41.7%) were female. At one month, a highly significant decrease occurred in VAS and ODI in the lidocaine and ozone groups compared to the botulinum toxin group (p < 0.001). At six months, there was a highly significant decrease in VAS and ODI in the botulinum toxin group compared to the lidocaine and ozone groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Botulinum toxin may assist in the medium- and long-term management of piriformis syndrome, while lidocaine injection and ozone therapy may help short-term treatment in patients not responding to conservative treatment and physiotherapy.

The Booster Effect of a Single Quarterly Dose of Hyaluronic Acid in Knee Osteoarthritis: Five-Year Results of a Registry-Based Study.

Objective Viscosupplementation by hyaluronic acid (HA) is well established non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This registry-based study investigated the booster effect of a quarterly intra-articular single knee injection (30mg/2ml) for five years. Methods Sixty patients, including 29 males and 31 females, with a mean ± SD age 61.07 ± 9.15 with Kellgren-Lawrence grade I-III KOA, have been selected from a registry of interventional treatments for musculoskeletal pain conditions. To be eligible, patients had to be treated with a single quarterly intraarticular injection of HA with a follow-up of at least five years and assessed with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) at baseline and after each HA injection in the first 24 months and at 36, 48, and 60 months. Results Sixty of 63 patients enrolled in this study completed the 60 months of follow-up. Patients had a marked improvement in knee function and pain, expressed by the significant reduction in WOMAC (T0 48.62±8.95 vs. T11 10.75±4.36; p<0.0001) and NRS scores (6.38±1.06 vs. T11 0.95±0.89 p<0.0001) from the baseline to the end of the follow-up period. Conclusion A quarterly injection of HA provides a rapid, safe, and stable long-term reduction of pain and improvement of function in elderly people with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis along a five-year period of treatment and follow-up. Further investigations are necessary to confirm these findings.