Open AccessPercutaneous computed tomography guided cryoablation of the celiac plexus as an alternative treatment for intractable pain caused by pancreatic cancer
Author(s) -
Hooman Yarmohammadi,
Dean Nakamoto,
Nami Azar,
Salim M. Hayek,
John R. Haaga
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of cancer research and therapeutics/journal of cancer research and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 0973-1482
pISSN - 1998-4138
DOI - 10.4103/0973-1482.92024
Subject(s) - medicine , celiac plexus , percutaneous , cryoablation , neurolysis , surgery , radiology , cancer pain , abdominal pain , palliative care , pancreatic cancer , cancer , ablation , nursing
Computed Tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous cryoablation was performed in a 43-year-old patient with intractable epigastric abdominal pain caused by advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and extensive celiac trunk involvement. Initial treatment with celiac plexus nerve neurolysis using local ethanol injection was unsuccessful. A 17-gauge 17-cm cryoablation probe (Galil Medical Inc. Plymouth Meeting, PA) was placed into the expected location of the celiac plexus through a left paraspinal approach under CT guidance and two cycles of freeze-thaw were performed. Patient's pain decreased from 10 of 10 (subjective pain scoring using a visual analog scale; VAS; 0-10) to 3. No post-procedure complication was observed. His pain has remained stable after 6 months of follow up. Percutaneous cryoablation appears to be an effective alternative to neurolytic celiac plexus block for palliative treatment of celiac plexus involvement. Further study with larger number of patients is needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy.