BACKGROUND Although mirror pain occurs after cordotomy in patients experiencing unilateral pain via a referred pain mechanism, no studies have examined whether this pain mechanism operates in patients who have bilateral pain. OBJECTIVE To assess the usefulness of cordotomy for bilateral pain from the viewpoint of increased pain or new pain caused by a referred pain mechanism. METHODS Twenty...

BACKGROUND Severe chest pain is common in mesothelioma. Percutaneous cervical cordotomy, which interrupts the spinothalamic tract at the C1/C2 level causing contralateral loss of pain sensation, is particularly appropriate in mesothelioma as the tumour is unilateral and systemic analgesia may be ineffective and is limited by harmful side effects. METHOD A retrospective review was performed to...

IMPORTANCE A reliable procedure is needed to solve the problem of difficult airway in patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis without adversely affecting patient "voice quality." OBJECTIVES To compare the results of laser-assisted posterior cordotomy with diathermy-assisted posterior cordotomy for bilateral vocal cord paralysis in regard to dyspnea severity, voice quality, and aspiration...

The aim of this study was to review all published articles in the literature in English regarding percutaneous cervical cordotomy in cancer pain. Percutaneous cordotomy may be used to relieve unilateral pain below the level of the neck arising from a variety of causes. It is particularly indicated for unilateral chest pain associated with malignant disease. We searched for reports on MEDLINE an...

Palliative cervical cordotomy can be performed via percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of the lateral C1-2 spinothalamic tract. This rare procedure can be safe, effective, and advantageous in mitigating medically intractable unilateral extremity pain for selected patients with end-stage cancer. This report reviews the indications, techniques, risks, and potential benefits of cordotomy. We desc...

BACKGROUND Cordotomy can be effective in relieving pain for patients with mesothelioma, but the evidence to support continued provision is limited. This review forms part of the Invasive Neurodestructive Procedures in Cancer Pain pilot study: The role of cordotomy in mesothelioma-related pain in the UK. AIM/DESIGN We report on the results of the first comprehensive systematic review of the us...

Cordotomy involves the surgical ablation of the spinothalamic tract within the spinal cord to treat pain. In 1912, Spiller and Martin described an ‘open’ cordotomy where the spinal cord was directly visualized through a thoracic laminectomy. In 1963, Mullan introduced a less invasive percutaneous technique using a needle inserted between the first and second vertebra under fluoroscopic guidance...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Rehabilitation of the bilaterally paralyzed human larynx remains a complex clinical problem. Conventional treatment generally involves surgical enlargement of the compromised airway, but often with resultant dysphonia and risk of aspiration. In this retrospective study, we compared one such treatment, posterior cordotomy, with unilateral laryngeal pacing: reanimation of vocal fo...

Background: Because the immature spinal cord was nerve growth permissive, we examined glial reactions that influence regeneration of the spinal cord in a fetal rat spinal cord injury model. Methods: Three, 7, 21, and 35 days after intrauterine surgery, offsprings were killed and the thoracic and lumbar spinal cords were carefully removed from the spinal column and then cut into 10 μm longitudin...

IMPORTANCE Treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a considerable challenge for otolaryngologists. Many surgical techniques have been developed for the management of this entity to eliminate the need for tracheotomy. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the success of the unilateral carbon dioxide laser endoscopic posterior cordotomy technique for bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis. DESIGN A r...