CT-GUIDED PERCUTANEOUS SELECTIVE CORDOTOMY

In this article the technique of CT-Guided Selective Cordotomy is desc ribed. The advantages of CT guidance in percutaneous cordotomy are the measurement of spinal cord diameters at the lesion site for each indi vidual patient, direct visualization of target electrode relations, de monstration of spinal cord displacement during the procedure and local ization of the electrode system in a specific part of the spinothalami c tract. Local destruction of the spinothalamic tract leads to selecti ve cordotomy. Since 1987, CT-Guided Cordotomy has been applied to 54 c ases of intractable cancer pain. In 33 of the 54 cases, the cordotomy was selective enough to be successful with a local denervation of the area where the pain was dominant. Except for one temporary hemiparesis and one temporary ataxia, no complications or side effects were obser ved.