Ganglion Impar Radiofrequency Ablation For Intractable Cancer Pain: A Case Report

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Pelvic and perineal pain are common in patients with malignancy of pelvic organs. Neoplastic invasion of neural tissues and infiltration of organs and sphinters results in severe pain whose treatment requires high doses of medications and often results in unsatisfactory pain relief [1]. Ganglion impar neurolysis is a well documented technique to reduce pain arising from perineal visceral structures such as rectum and anus [1-10]. Sensitive C and Aδ afferent fibers run from visceral structures to the spinal ganglia where the neuron body is located and they run together with the sympathetic fibers innervating splanchnic organs [9]. Afferent sensitive fibers cross the sympathetic ganglia without synapsing in it, therefore, lesioning the sympathetic chain could result in a reduction of pain transmitted through these somatic fibers. Ganglion Impar is the lowest sympathetic ganglia and is formed by the fusion of the two sympathetic chains that are fused at this level forming a oval-shaped structure.