Ultrasound guided alcohol ablation of the celiac plexus in oncology patients with chronic abdominal pain

Purpose. The authors report results of a retrospective study evaluating the efficacy of US-guided alcohol ablation of the celiac plexus in 26 patients with chronic cancer-related abdominal pain. They review the interest of th is imaging technique for guidance. Patients and Methods. Thirty US-guided alcohol ablations were performed in 26 patients. Twenty-two of them had a prancreatic malignancy, 3 had a gastr ic cancer and 1 had an esophageal cancer. Results. 72% of patients experienced significant pain relief with at least 50% decrease in morphine requirements for two months. Four patients underwe nt a second ablation because of persistent pain and 3 of them experienced r elief. Conclusion. Celiac plexus ablation is considered to be one of the most effe ctive treatments for chronic cancer-related abdominal pain, often used as a n adjuvant treatment in the pain management strategy. US guidance is advant ageous because it is simple and accurate and enables quick needle placement .