title: Stereotactic Thalamotomy for Hairdresser's Dystonia: A Case Series.
abstract: Hairdresser's dystonia is a rarely reported form of focal hand dystonia, and the clinical course and treatment remains poorly understood.
  
  
  
  The aim of this report was to clarify the impact of thalamotomy on hairdresser's dystonia.
  
  
  
  Four consecutive patients with hairdresser's task-specific dystonia evaluated at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital between 2008 and 2013 were treated with stereotactic thalamotomy, and were recruited for this case series.
  
  
  
  The mean age at the onset of symptoms was 37.25 ± 10.64 years, the median duration of symptoms was 4.25 ± 1.3 years, and the mean follow-up period was 17 ± 12.37 months. Two of the 4 patients returned to work with significant improvement following the stereotactic thalamotomy and the beneficial effects persisted for the duration of their clinical follow-up. The other 2 patients experienced transient improvements for up to 3 months. Surgical complications included only dysarthria in 2 patients, and did not interfere with their daily activities. No patients experienced a deterioration of dystonic symptoms after thalamotomy.
  
  
  
  Although the benefits of thalamotomy remain vulnerable to incorrect or insufficient coagulation, stereotactic thalamotomy may be a feasible and effective procedure for patients with hairdresser's dystonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horisawa
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Takakazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamata
authors.forename: Takaomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D020821:Dystonic Disorders / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013788:Thalamus / Q000601:surgery*