title: Five-year follow-up of a cordotomy.
abstract: Percutaneous cervical cordotomy is an invasive procedure to treat severe, opioid-resistant cancer pain. It is usually proposed for patients with a limited life expectancy. As a consequence, objective quantification of the long-term effects of this procedure is lacking. The present report describes a patient who was treated with a right-sided percutaneous cervical cordotomy for refractory cancer pain. Afterward, disseminated seminoma was diagnosed, which was cured with chemotherapy. Five years after the procedure, a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the long-term effects was performed. Sensory dysfunction was observed in the left side of the body, but no motor neuron or autonomic dysfunction was observed. The influence of these long-term effects on the patient's daily activities was limited.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. j.j.meeuse@int.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Jan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Meeuse
authors.forename: Arnoud C M
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Vervest
authors.forename: Johannes H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van der Hoeven
authors.forename: An K L
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Reyners
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002818:Cordotomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D012684:Sensory Thresholds