Korean J Pain.  2007 Dec;20(2):230-234. 10.3344/kjp.2007.20.2.230.

Pulsed Radiofrequency Lesioning of the Suprascapular Nerve for Referred Shoulder Pain due to Metastatic Liver Cancer: A case report

• Kim HT
• Jang IS
• Han SJ
• Lee JH
• Kwon YE

• KMID: 2278072
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2007.20.2.230

Abstract

A diagnosis of shoulder pain is varied and difficult to make. The initial onset of liver cancer is difficult to detect and patients typically do not complain of symptoms as most tumors are asymptomatic. If the symptoms of the patients develop, the first symptom is usually pain that extends from the abdomen to the back and shoulder. A suprascapular nerve block is used in the treatment of the referred shoulder pain due to a metastatic hepatoma, but the effectiveness of the treatment has been limited because of its short duration. Recently, the advent of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) lesioning has proved a successful treatment for chronic refractory pain involving the peripheral nerves. We experienced a case of a 66-year-old male patient complaining of referred right shoulder pain due to metastatic liver cancer, which was relieved after PRF lesioning of the suprascapular nerve.

Keyword

pulsed radiofrequency; referred shoulder pain; suprascapular nerve block

MeSH Terms

Abdomen
Aged
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Diagnosis
Humans
Liver Neoplasms*
Liver*
Male
Nerve Block
Pain, Intractable
Peripheral Nerves
Shoulder Pain*
Shoulder*