Celiac plexus block. Retrocrural computed tomographic anatomy in patients with and without pancreatic cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Neurolytic celiac plexus block is often performed for analgesia from pancreatic cancer, but it is not known if the cancer alters the anatomy relevant to the successful performance of retrocrural celiac plexus block.


METHODS
Abdominal computed tomographic scans were used to simulate retrocrural celiac plexus block in patients with and without pancreatic cancer.


RESULTS
Simulated right-sided needle placement in the retrocrural space was more likely to fail in patients with pancreatic cancer than in patients without cancer. Such predicted failure often occurred when the cross-sectional area of the right retrocrural space was less than 1.0 cm2.


CONCLUSIONS
The predicted success of stimulated retrocrural celiac plexus block differed between patients with and without pancreatic cancer. These findings have implications for the performance of celiac plexus block.
Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Arizona 85259, USA.
J G
JG
Weber
D L
DL
Brown
D H
DH
Stephens
G Y
GY
Wong
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D002447:Celiac Plexus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods