Diaphragmatic paralysis following alcohol celiac plexus neurolysis and a review of literature: A case report

Kim, Jae Hun; Park, Soo Young; Nahm, Sahngun; Sung, Bohyun; Kim, Yong Chul; Lee, Sang Chul

Case Report

Spinal Pain

Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 2009;4(4):290-293.
Published online October 31, 2009.

Diaphragmatic paralysis following alcohol celiac plexus neurolysis and a review of literature: A case report

Jae Hun Kim, Soo Young Park, Sahngun Nahm, Bohyun Sung, Yong Chul Kim, Sang Chul Lee

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. pain@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

A 54-year-old man who had metastasis of gastric cancer was referred to pain clinic to control his severe epigastric pain.After the confirmation of the effect of the diagnostic celiac plexus block, c-arm-guided neurolysis of celiac plexus using alcohol was performed without any sensory or motor change.Five days after the chemical neurolysis, elevated hemidiaphragm and basal atelectasis of right lung were noted at routine chest X-ray follow-up without any respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea.There was no evidence of diaphragmatic metastasis. Two months after the neurolysis, the radiographic finding did not show any change.

Key Words: Cancer, Celiac plexus block, Complication, Diaphragmatic paralysis, Neurolysis