Ca. Pagni et S. Canavero, FUNCTIONAL THALAMIC DEPRESSION IN A CASE OF REVERSIBLE CENTRAL PAIN DUE TO A SPINAL INTRAMEDULLARY CYST - CASE-REPORT, Journal of neurosurgery, 83(1), 1995, pp. 163-165
In this report the authors discuss a case of central pain of spinal co
rd origin due to a spinal thoracic intramedullary cyst. Single-photon
emission computerized tomography with technetium-99m hexamethylpropyle
neamineoxime showed thalamic hypoperfusion contralateral to the affect
ed leg. Surgical evacuation resulted in total relief of the pain and n
ormalization of the thalamic alteration. The reader can infer from the
se findings that functional alterations in thalamic processing may be
important in the genesis of central pain.