Five-Year Follow-Up of a Cordotomy

Percutaneous cervical cordotomy is an invasive procedure to treat severe, opioid-resistant cancer pain. It is usually proposed for patients with a limited life expectancy. As a consequence, objective quantification of the long-term effects of this procedure is lacking. The present report describes a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jan J Meeuse, Arnoud CM Vervest, Johannes H van der Hoeven, An KL Reyners
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2008-01-01
Series:Pain Research and Management
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2008/635197
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Summary:Percutaneous cervical cordotomy is an invasive procedure to treat severe, opioid-resistant cancer pain. It is usually proposed for patients with a limited life expectancy. As a consequence, objective quantification of the long-term effects of this procedure is lacking. The present report describes a patient who was treated with a right-sided percutaneous cervical cordotomy for refractory cancer pain. Afterward, disseminated seminoma was diagnosed, which was cured with chemotherapy. Five years after the procedure, a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the long-term effects was performed. Sensory dysfunction was observed in the left side of the body, but no motor neuron or autonomic dysfunction was observed. The influence of these long-term effects on the patient’s daily activities was limited.
ISSN:1203-6765