gms | German Medical Science

62nd Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
Joint Meeting with the Polish Society of Neurosurgeons (PNCH)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

7 - 11 May 2011, Hamburg

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Dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning as a treatment for central neuropathic pain

Meeting Abstract

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  • C. Heinen - Neurochirurgische Abteilung der Universität Ulm am BKH zu Günzburg
  • K. Mohr - Neurochirurgische Abteilung der Universität Ulm am BKH zu Günzburg
  • G. Antoniadis - Neurochirurgische Abteilung der Universität Ulm am BKH zu Günzburg
  • R. Wirtz - Neurochirurgische Abteilung der Universität Ulm am BKH zu Günzburg
  • H.P. Richter - Neurochirurgische Abteilung der Universität Ulm am BKH zu Günzburg
  • K. Seitz - Neurochirurgische Abteilung der Universität Ulm am BKH zu Günzburg

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Polnische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen. 62. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Polnischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen (PNCH). Hamburg, 07.-11.05.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. DocP 060

doi: 10.3205/11dgnc281, urn:nbn:de:0183-11dgnc2819

Published: April 28, 2011

© 2011 Heinen et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Objective: In spite of the development of new drugs, the treatment of central neuropathic pain still is challenging and patient's life quality can be affected tremendously. We present our series of patients treated using DREZ lesioning with the Nashold technique.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed our own series of 51 patients treated by DREZ lesioning with the Nashold technique. Pain level was assessed using the visual analog scale. Furthermore, patient satisfaction was evaluated and complications were documented.

Results: Out of 50 patients, 36 displayed traumatic cervical root avulsion and 14 suffered from traumatic paraplegia. 2 patients showed both. 36 patients answered the questionnaire allowing a follow-up from 1 to 10 years. Patients with cervical root avulsion described a clear improvement of 85%, whereas in the paraplegia group only 50% reported pain relief. One patient developed leg weakness; temporary gait problems could be observed in 4 patients.

Conclusions: According to our experience DREZ lesioning is a useful tool for the treatment of central neuropathic pain. Especially patients with traumatic root avulsion benefit from this method. However, DREZ does not represent the treatment of first choice and possible complications have to be kept in mind.